Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess has raised the acute human rights challenges being faced by communities across the Highlands and Islands during a debate in the Scottish Parliament today (16 January).
Focusing on housing and food, the regional MSP called for more public funding and support for rural communities.
According to a recent report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), the Scottish Government is failing to fulfil even its most basic international obligations in these two areas.
Ms Burgess called on the Government to increase its affordable housing target for rural areas so that it is proportionate to the number of people who live in the Highlands and Islands.
While the SNP administration has committed to building 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, just 10% of these properties will be situated in rural and island areas.
And yet, 17% of the Scottish population lives in rural areas.
In a speech to the Chamber, she said:
“I frequently hear from constituents who are unable to access affordable housing in their community.
“In its report, SHRC has rightly identified this as a major driver of depopulation.
“While the Government has recognised the issue to some extent, its housing targets are not on track to reduce homelessness.”
She continued:
“We must see councils adopting facilitation and supportive approaches to help communities to meet these needs.
“And we must see the Scottish Government provide the right level of funding to ensure that we exceed that 10% target.
“While construction is important, it must go hand in hand with turning existing empty properties into homes.
“We can make three homes for the price of one new build.
“Let’s become a retrofit nation and solve the housing crisis.”
Ariane Burgess also urged Ministers to push on with providing more money and support for community-led food initiatives, such as market gardens.
Highlighting the excellent work of Tagsa Uibhist, a charity which supports health and wellbeing across Uist, she called on the Scottish Government to boost funding for food initiatives which diversify food supply chains and therefore act as a guard against the impacts of climate change on fresh food supplies.
She said:
“High prices and poverty are depriving a significant number of people of sufficient food.
“Even physically accessing affordable nutrition is a challenge, with bad weather, creaking infrastructure and overtourism depriving entire communities of fresh food.
“People are basically being left to fend for themselves, with little to no support from the Government.
“I secured an amendment in the Agriculture and Rural Communities Act, which aims to open new support pathways for market garden and small-scale initiatives.
“I would urge the Government to provide this support swiftly to guarantee food to our Highland and Island communities.”