Homeless at Christmas: Former MSP calls for national review of housing policy
Last updated 20th Dec 2025
It's supposed to be a time of celebration.
But Greatest Hits Radio can reveal 432 people in the Scottish Borders are facing homelessness this Christmas.
That's 73 more than at the same time last year.
The figures were obtained following a Freedom of Information request to Scottish Borders Council, which declared a housing emergency in May 2024.
Kelso councillor Euan Robson is Leader of the local authority's opposition LibDem group. He said: "These figures are frustrating because Scottish Borders Council is trying its hardest to increase the number of homes available.
"We have made major efforts to, for example, bring empty homes back into use. There's been quite a lot of investment in that area because some of these homes will require considerable work.
"And we're also, as a council, ensuring that there is no incentive in terms of discounts for longer than necessary empty homes.
"We are trying our best, and making sites available as we can, and ensuring that planning is smooth and efficient."
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Earlier this year, council chiefs revealed only around half the 282 homes targeted for completion between last year and next are predicted to be delivered.
But, with more than 200 properties in the planning, they insist providing more affordable homes remains a priority.
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Councillor Robson said: "There needs to be a national review of housing policy because effectively this problem is occurring across Scotland, not only the Borders.
"Part of the problem is of course the increase in construction costs - there's been huge inflation in building materials, which doesn't help.
"But there are also problems such as the cost of infrastructure connections - the cost of getting electricity supply, gas supply or a water supply are difficult. And, here, government can help."
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The former MSP believes the City Region Deal housing infrastructure fund should, in effect, be used to subsidise "difficult to develop small brownfield sites across rural Scotland".
"It's a difficult situtaion for any rural authority to cope with," he acknowledged, "particularly one that is as small as ours with a smaller population.
"But the council (SBC) was entirely correct to declare a housing crisis and these figures simply prove the point.
"Behind each incidence of homelessness there can be very distressing stories, and all I can do at this time of year is to say that it gives an acute focus to the issue for us in the new financial year."
Nevertheless he added: "We will need additional funding from the Scottish Government to ensure that we're able to cope with this particular ongoing crisis."
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