SCOTTISH Greens are proposing to fill empty homes while Labour plan to build them as Scotland’s housing emergency enters its second year.

In a statement on Thursday, marking a year since the Scottish National Party government declared a nationwide emergency, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told MSPs they were investing £768 million to build 8,000 social and mid-market rent homes.

She said: “The latest programme for government reiterated our commitment to the delivery of the 110,000 affordable homes target by 2032.”

Doubts over deliverability have grown, however, after new affordable home approvals in 2024 fell to their lowest level since 2018, while average rent climbed by 5.1 per cent over the last year to £999 per month.

Visiting a construction firm, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Rents are soaring, home ownership is being pushed out of reach for many and over 10,000 kids are stuck in temporary accommodation without a home of their own.

“This will go down in history as one of the defining failures of this SNP government.”

Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman demanded action to bring the 31,596 homes in Scotland classified as “long-term empty” into use.

Backing amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to enhance compulsory purchase powers for councils to do so, she said: “Thousands of homes and plots of land are sitting empty or derelict.

“These amendments are about making significant changes to the housing inequality which blights Scotland and puts homes back into the hands of people who need them.

“If the SNP don’t act now by strengthening our hand in tackling housing inequality, then prior progress will stall.

“It is not the time for half-measures, it is time to make real change to people’s lives.”