People are being trapped in unsuitable homes or “priced out” of housing altogether, Labour said yesterday, as Scotland’s housing emergency enters another year.

Almost one in four respondents (23 per cent) to the latest Scottish Household Survey said unaffordable rent or mortgage payments were  a barrier to moving in 2023, up from 13 per cent in 2019.

As homelessness continues at record levels in Scotland and waiting lists for social housing grow, house-buying is increasingly out of reach, with prices continuing to rise faster than wages.

The survey found 43 per cent struggled to save a deposit in 2023, while 22 per cent could not move because they could not get a mortgage, compared to 36 and 17 per cent respectively in 2019.

Scottish Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin commented: “Under the SNP, Scotland has fallen into a devastating housing emergency.

“More and more Scots are being priced out of accommodation and forced to live somewhere unsuitable because they simply cannot afford to move.

“Home ownership is becoming a distant dream for a generation of young people.

“It’s time for the SNP to wake up to the scale of this crisis and set out a real plan to make sure every Scot has the safe, secure home they deserve.”

A Scottish government spokesperson responded: “Tackling the housing emergency and investing in safe, warm and affordable homes is key to achieving the Scottish government’s top priority of eradicating child poverty.

“We have a strong track record in affordable housing having supported the delivery of 135,000 affordable homes since 2007. 

“We want to ramp up that delivery by increasing the affordable housing supply budget to £768 million next year. This investment will help tackle the housing emergency while contributing towards our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.”