Scotland's housing crisis: Labour blast SNP for lack of housing plan
During a sit-down interview with The Herald, Ms McAllan said she would introduce an "enhanced and expedited" plan to "step up" action to tackle the housing crisis in Scotland after the Scottish Parliament Summer recess.
The newly-appointed housing secretary was not yet able to reveal what those plans were.
Ms McAllan said: 'I can't tell you today exactly what my plan is, but I do intend to set out a plan as soon as I can with some enhanced and expedited action which will respond, as I see it, in an emergency fashion."
Scottish Labour's housing spokesperson, Mark Griffin MSP said, following the paper's recent interview, it appeared as though the SNP did not have a plan to address the crisis.
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Scotland's Housing Crisis: McAllan to deliver emergency plan
Housing secretary feels 'personal weight' to prioritise children
Mr Griffin said: 'It is hugely concerning that despite the housing emergency being declared over a year ago, SNP ministers still do not appear to have any plan to tackle this crisis.
'It's clear that this SNP government is out of ideas and running out of time. After nearly two decades, we have 250,000 people on social housing waiting lists, and it is heart-breaking that over 10,000 children are stuck in temporary accommodation.
'A Scottish Labour government will turn the page on SNP failure and tackle the housing emergency once and for all by reforming planning, boosting housebuilding and delivering fair funding for local government and affordable housing.'
Speaking about a timeline for a plan from the Scottish Government, Ms McAllan said parliament would need to be back so that MSPs can scrutinise any proposals.
When asked if this plan will include more investment, the housing secretary said the capital position in Scotland is 'very difficult' at the moment.
The expected post-Scottish Parliamentary recess plan comes as house building numbers in Scotland are plummeting, with nearly 4,000 fewer homes in supply in 2023-24 compared to the year before.
Ms McAlllan said these figures are 'concerning' but insisted they do not present an 'unbridgeable gap'.
The cabinet secretary said: 'The stats that we have had on the all ten year builds, they showed an 11% decrease in starts, and a four per cent decrease in completions and that is of course the wrong direction, particularly when we have such high demands but it is not insurmountable.'
In 2021, the SNP set themselves a task to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
Opposition parties and the outgoing chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Association have said they will fail to meet this target.
The cabinet secretary, however, said she believes they can meet this target and she intends not to rollback on it.
Ms McAllan said the 'core' of action to tackle house building would be the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which the government is investing £768 million this year.
The housing secretary said she is told this will translate into 8,000 affordable homes.
Other levers being explored by the Scottish Government to tackle the crisis include converting temporary homes to permanent ones, attempting to "unlock" stalled housing developments and hiring more empty homes officers.
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