Dear Editor

The Scottish Government’s consultation on ending child poverty and the ambitious targets it is proposing are very welcome.

However, in this week’s announcement there was little focus on the crucial role of decent housing for every child in Scotland.

A safe, secure and affordable home is a basic right for everyone and fundamental to life chances. Without this, children are less likely to have the same level of educational attainment as their peers. Without a warm and safe home, children are more likely to have poorer health outcomes over their lifetime - for example, children in cold homes are twice as likely to suffer respiratory problems.

So, in considering the various paths towards ending child poverty in Scotland, it is paramount that tackling Scotland’s housing crisis is at the heart of it.

Only by building at least 12,000 affordable homes a year for the foreseeable future can we start to tackle the crisis – a crisis that affects us all and one that carries a very human cost, especially for children.

Graeme Brown, director, Shelter Scotland