Housing crisis warning in Dumfries and Galloway despite £95 million investment plan
Concerns persist over council's ability to meet legal obligation to house homeless people
A stark reminder was issued this week that Dumfries and Galloway Council is at risk of failing in its legal duty to house homeless people.
Despite plans to invest almost £95 million in affordable housing over the next four years, the local authority is still in a perilous position, one councillor warned.
As elected members approved the council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan for 2026 on Tuesday, Lochar Councillor Linda Dorward reiterated her fears about the region’s ongoing housing crisis.
Speaking at the council’s economy and infrastructure committee, she said: “We have a homeless crisis in Dumfries and Galloway in this climate.
“At last week’s social work service committee we heard that Dumfries and Galloway Council is again at risk of failing a statutory duty to accommodate homeless people, with numbers in temporary accommodation remaining roughly the same as last year – which is not good enough given we’ve declared a housing emergency.”
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The Labour Group deputy leader also questioned whether the council’s approach to housing was too fragmented, with responsibilities currently split across three different committees.
She said: “It’s kind of, for me, the same headings that sit in three different committees. Do we need to do something to consolidate how we deal with the housing issue in Dumfries and Galloway?”
Jamie Little, the council’s strategic housing and regeneration team leader, acknowledged the scale of the challenge, confirming the region has been identified by the Scottish Housing Regulator as being “at risk of systemic failure.”
He said the pressures were not unique to the area, adding: “The homelessness pressures that are on the council in the region at the moment are national as well.”
Mr Little said the council’s main response was to accelerate the delivery of affordable homes, with a target of building around 210 new affordable properties each year, alongside efforts to bring 30 empty homes back into use annually.
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North West Dumfries Councillor Paula Stevenson raised concerns about the type of specialist housing being built for disabled residents in the region.
She welcomed the increase in accessible homes but warned too few catered for families, saying: “There still doesn’t seem to be enough family-friendly wheelchair housing.
Meanwhile, Annandale South Councillor Ian Carruthers welcomed the report but pressed for clarity on how many affordable homes the council’s £94.5 million funding allocation would actually deliver.
Jamie Little confirmed more than 300 homes are expected to be completed over the current financial year and the next two.
The region’s updated Strategic Housing Investment Plan will now be submitted to the Scottish Government ahead of an October deadline.
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