Earlier this week, I commented on the increasingly problematic state of homelessness in Inverclyde, published in the Tele.

In my original remarks, I stressed that the current situation where 200 more children per year face the prospect of homelessness in Inverclyde is nothing short of scandalous. Many families who may be currently facing the prospect of becoming homeless or living in wholly unsuitable temporary accommodation will no doubt be wondering how we ever reached this point.

The Scottish Government’s decision to reduce funding for our councils has had disastrous consequences for social housing, especially the £200 million in cuts made to the Scottish housing budget.

Reduced funding not only stops councils from building new homes, but it also forces them to divert money away from essential renovation projects to turn unused buildings into new and affordable housing.

This situation was made drastically worse by last year’s snap decision to impose a Scottish council tax freeze. Having first been announced at a party conference rather than in Holyrood, it is arguable that this uncosted policy was purely intended to distract from the SNP’s woeful record in the lead up to this year’s General Election.

Jamie Greene MSP (Conservative, West Scotland)Jamie Greene MSP (Conservative, West Scotland) (Image: PA) Not only did this fail to save the skins of the many SNP MPs who lost their seats, it has also left councils facing difficult financial decisions and prospective cuts to its own housing budgets for many years to come.

This is not to mention the continued can-kicking when it comes to reforming Scotland’s planning system. Many Scottish housing developers continue to criticise current planning regulations which keeps housing prices high, available housing low and future development slow.

Despite all this, I believe that the Scottish Government’s lax attitude towards the housing crisis itself has drawn the most anger from my constituents. By the time the Scottish Government backed its own watered-down housing emergency declaration, five major councils had already acknowledged the severity of the housing crisis months before.

The Scottish Government still leaves the prime responsibility for housing in the hands of a junior minister, despite the magnitude of Scotland’s current housing issues.

In response to this, the Scottish Conservatives have appointed a dedicated shadow cabinet spokesperson for housing. I hope that the Scottish Government follows suit in creating a senior ministerial role for housing, and soon begins to treat the housing emergency issue with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.