Scotland risks creating a ‘generational gulf’ between the housing haves and have-nots unless there is a step-change in the supply of affordable housing, Shelter Scotland has warned today.

Launching its Manifesto for Homes ahead of May’s Holyrood election, the charity has outlined four priority actions to tackle Scotland’s housing crisis, at the heart of which is the need for all political parties to commit to ambitious targets for new affordable housing in the run up to the forthcoming election.

The manifesto has urged politicians to commit to deliver a home for everyone in Scotland; meet the needs of every homeless person in Scotland; make renting right and to put housing at the heart of social justice and tackling child poverty.

Shelter is calling for at least a doubling of the current level of affordable housing supply to build 12,000 new affordable homes each year for the next five years.

A survey published alongside the manifesto has revealed that the vast majority of people in Scotland think that the children of today will find it harder to buy or rent a home than the generation before them, according to a new survey.

Conducted by Ipsos MORI Scotland on behalf of the housing and homelessness charity, the survey shows that 90 per cent of respondents agree that it will be harder for the children of today to buy or rent a home in the future than it is today.

The same survey of 1,028 adults aged 16 or over across Scotland, found that 69 per cent agree that it is harder for them to buy or rent a home now than it was for their parents’ generation when they were of a similar age.

And 87 per cent of respondents agree that unless we build many more new affordable homes we will never be able to tackle the country’s housing problems.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said the survey shows that Scots are worried about housing “now and in the future”.

He said: “Scotland’s housing crisis risks creating a devastating generational gulf between the housing haves and have nots. The high cost of housing and the stuttering supply of new affordable homes set against high and rising demand are at the heart of this crisis.

“Sadly, it is those on the lowest incomes and the most vulnerable people in our society who will bear the brunt of the housing crisis unless drastic and bold action is taken now. We want to see an end to housing-related poverty and homelessness in 21st century Scotland and our Manifesto for Homes outlines the four commitments we want all politicians to make to tackle our housing crisis head on.

“We urge all political parties to use the 12,000 target for new affordable homes as a benchmark for their ambitions to bring real hope to the thousands of people in Scotland without a suitable or affordable home while also delivering a major boost to jobs and the economy.”