People in the Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke constituency are being ‘priced out’ of the housing market according to the area’s MP.
The most recent Scottish Household Survey has revealed a sharp rise in the proportion of Scots unable to move to their accommodation of choice because they can’t afford the rent or mortgage.
In 2019, just 13 per cent of respondents said being unable to afford the rent or mortgage was a barrier to moving, but by 2023 this figure had jumped to 24 per cent.
In North Lanarkshire, renters faced inflation-busting increases between 2023 and 2024, with average rents for a two-bed property rising by 8.2 per cent.
Similarly, house prices in the area rose sharply, increasing by £9,869 between 2023 and 2024.
In South Lanarkshire, the increases are 6.1 per cent and £11,385 respectively.
Pamela Nash, MP for Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke, said too many people locally are stuck in unsuitable housing and home ownership was becoming a ‘distant dream’ for a generation.
She said: “Every week I hear from more and more people in our communities who are being priced out of accommodation and forced to live somewhere unsuitable because they simply cannot afford to move.
“Home ownership is becoming a distant dream for a generation of young people, while renters are dealing with inflation-busting rent hikes.
“It’s time for the SNP to wake up to the scale of this crisis and set out a real plan to make sure people in Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke have the safe, secure homes they deserve.
“From reforming planning to boosting housebuilding to supporting renters, the SNP must set out a real plan to make sure housing is affordable.”
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