A DISABILITY charity is appealing for “an urgent explanation” from the Scottish Government about why the number of disabled people on housing waiting lists appears to have almost doubled.
Newly released figures suggest the number of people with disabilities in Scotland waiting for a place to live has risen by nearly 80% in the last two years – though Inclusion Scotland questioned the exact figures.
A total of 17,444 people are said to be in this situation, up from 9,714 as reported in a 2017 study.
Disabled people waiting for accommodation must wait an average of 6193 days in Edinburgh, compared to only four days in West Dunbartonshire.
The figures were released after freedom of information requests by the Scottish Conservatives, who said it was proof of a "housing crisis" in Scotland.
Susie Fitton, policy offer for Inclusion Scotland, expressed uncertainty on whether the statistics were reliable, but said action was eeded.
Fitton said: “Inclusion Scotland demands an urgent explanation from local authorities and the Scottish government about figures from the Conservative party that show the number of disabled people stuck on housing waiting lists in Scotland has almost doubled in the last two years.
“We are doubtful about accuracy, for example the figures for Edinburgh show that in 2017 some 419 disabled people were on a waiting list for social housing and in just two years this figure has risen to over 6,000, an increase of over 1000%. However, the picture is truly alarming whichever way you look at it.
“We either have a huge surge in the number of disabled people waiting for suitable homes across Scotland or a whole raft of local authorities across Scotland who simply have no idea about the housing needs of disabled people in their area. This is simply unacceptable.”
Fitton said that a new plan is required to accommodate the needs of people living with disabilities in need of housing.
She added: “We know that the housing system in Scotland is failing disabled people. Robust sources of evidence show thousands of disabled people living in inaccessible homes across Scotland where they cannot wash, cook or leave their houses without support yet many of these people will never be on a waiting list for social housing.
“The Scottish House Condition Survey shows 62,000 disabled people in Scotland require an adaptation to their home but do not have one, and 17,000 wheelchair users are living in unsuitable homes across Scotland.
“There is a hidden housing crisis for disabled people in Scotland, to address it we need a new design standard for new homes that ensures accessibility, an allocations system that works for disabled people and a well-funded adaptations system and there is no time to lose.”
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