Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed that 60,459 households, a third of all applicants, have been on council housing waiting lists for over three years. Freedom of Information requests returned by 32 councils also highlighted the scale of council house shortages, with nearly half of all applicants waiting more than two years for council housing.

Earlier this week figures published by the Scottish Government revealed council house numbers are at a record low. In March 2012, there were 319,384 council houses in Scotland, the lowest in at least ten years.

Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Jim Hume has criticised the SNP government for presiding over a housing crisis in Scotland.

 Mr Hume said: “The SNP government must come clean and acknowledge that they are presiding over a housing crisis in Scotland. Over 180,000 households are languishing on council waiting lists, a third of which have been on waiting lists for over three years.

 “This is a deplorable state of affairs which the SNP needs to recognise and act to change. The picture of social housing has worsened in recent years. The number of council houses is at an all-time low, housing association completions are plummeting and there has been a shocking 66% decline in housing association new build approvals in the past 2 years.

 “With an overall decline on starts and completions across the social-rented sector, what we are seeing is a damning indictment of this Government’s housing policies.

 “Families need and deserve the stability of a permanent home. Scottish Liberal Democrats want the SNP government to acknowledge its shameful record on the provision of social housing and set out a firm pathway to creating more homes for social rent.”