A motion put forward by housing spokesperson Judy Hamilton will urge the council to make the declaration in the wake of soaring waiting lists and record homelessness figures.

Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh and Glasgow councils have all previously declared housing emergencies. Edinburgh has since published a draft Housing Emergency Action Plan to begin to address its concerns while Argyll and Bute held a Housing Emergency Summit to bring partners together to pledge commitments aimed at increasing supply. 

Earlier this year, councillors in Fife warned that they would have no choice but to follow unless the council receives urgent financial support.

Homelessness in the region has reached record levels following a 7% increase in 2022-23. More than 1,900 households are currently classed as homeless and waiting for tenancies, while 1,000 families, including 380 children, are living in temporary accommodation.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government’s funding cut for new affordable housing means Fife’s pledge to build hundreds of new council homes is now at risk.

At the time, housing spokesperson Judy Hamilton accused the Scottish Government of “pulling the rug out” from under its housing programme partners, which include councils, developers and housing associations.

Her motion put forward for the meeting tomorrow states: “Council agrees to declare a Housing Emergency and requests the Head of Housing to work with partners to bring forward a Housing Emergency Action Plan to the Cabinet Committee in June, to supplement and accelerate already agreed actions and to address the Housing Emergency in Fife.

“Council also calls on the Scottish Government to reverse its decision to cut the affordable housing programme budget by 26%.”

The motion notes “with great concern” the number of households assessed as homeless and waiting for a tenancy and the number of families with children in temporary accommodation, pressures on the Housing Revenue Account that required a 5% rent increase and that Fife did not receive any of the additional £2 million revenue funding for temporary accommodation announced by the Scottish Government prior to December 2023.”

Sally Thomas, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Amid a backdrop of increasing homelessness, a severe shortage of social homes, and repeated Scottish Government budget cuts, it is clear that all of Scotland faces a housing emergency.

“It’s unlikely that Fife will be the final local authority to make this declaration.”