Fife Council’s approach to tackling a declared housing emergency has been branded “misguided” amid revelations 1,200 families are now homeless.
The Labour administration plans to build 700 new affordable homes over the next five years, including 300 council houses.
And a £239 million budget to extend its housebuilding programme was approved on Thursday.
However, the SNP opposition insists buying existing properties would be four times quicker and half the price.
Councillors clashed over the best way to tackle Fife’s housing crisis, with claims the current approach is having “real consequences” for people in need.
Fife Council has bought 325 houses since 2020.
And it has set aside £4.8m to buy a further 37 in the next year, despite a cut in the Scottish Government’s affordable housing budget.
But the SNP says the balance between new-builds and acquisitions must change to ensure more people receive homes quickly.
Fife Council ‘must face facts’ on affordable housing
Kirkcaldy SNP councillor Carol Lindsay said: “There is an urgent need for more affordable housing.
“Unfortunately, the Labour administration refuses to acknowledge that acquisitions deliver more housing stock.
“This is not just misguided. It actively undermines our ability to deliver real housing solutions for people in Fife.
“It’s out of touch with both practical reality and Scottish Government policy.”
Ms Lindsay urged her Labour colleagues to “face facts”, accusing them of a failure of leadership.
And fellow-SNP member Lesley Backhouse added: “The fact we still have an underspend of £3.5m carrying forward to next year, I think is disgraceful.
“I alone have at least five people in need of a property on my books.”
Labour is standing by its approach however, accusing the opposition of “absolute nonsense”.
Labour: Housebuilding is ‘only way to tackle homelessness’
Fife Council leader David Ross says acquisitions are “part of the arsenal to address housing need”.
But a long-term new-build programme is “the only way we’re going to tackle homelessness and housing need”.
“We’ve always said it (acquisition) has a role,” he said.
“But I’m fed-up saying it, unless we’re buying new houses, we are not adding to the stock.
“We are just shuffling people around rather than providing new housing for them.
“And we’re transferring resources to private landlords rather than investing in development.”
SNP affordable housing claims ‘absolute nonsense’
Mr Ross added: “There is also an assumption there are hundreds and thousands of properties out there to buy.
“We have seen from evidence from our own officers they have to reject some houses because they are not suitable.”
Meanwhile, Labour accused the SNP of failing to produce a budget to back-up their calls.
Councillor Altany Craik said: “I’ve been listening to this absolute nonsense.
“This is a serious issue that should have come with a costed plan.
“I’m really disappointed they haven’t done the work to get us to this place.”
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