The first draft of a Housing Emergency Action Plan (HEAP) arrived at Fife Council’s cabinet committee - 10 weeks after a housing emergency was declared on the Kingdom. 

It was accused of being light on detail by SNP councillors but it was approved.

The “high level” draft plan has three main themes: Maintaining affordable housing supply; making best use of existing properties; and enhancing housing access and prevention of homelessness. 

“HEAP builds on what we are doing already, through various strategies and policies, aiming to accelerate or boost actions to mitigate the housing emergency,” John Mills, head of housing, explained. 

It also listed a variety of strategies and options that officers want to examine ahead of the full action plan this autumn. 

However, SNP councillor John Beare said: “When the report comes back to cabinet, I hope that it will have specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound targets.

“None of that is here. There isn’t anything measurable in this report at all that can give us a sense that there is urgency here.

It’s taken 10 weeks to tell us that there’s got to be a medium term action plan.” 

Councillor David Alexander, leader of the SNP opposition, agreed: “I’m disappointed with the lack of detail - the lack of targets. Let’s see where we are as quick as we can with finance."

However, council leader David Ross and housing spokesperson Judy Hamilton were quick to defend the administration.  “I completely refute the allegation that there’s been no urgency,” Cllr Hamilton said.

In the last two years, she said the council has replaced all of its temporary accommodation; completed reviews and rebrands on housing functional needs; the council have also updated and approved a homelessness strategy. 

Cllr Ross agreed: “There is significant progress being made.

“The real problem and the real thing that tipped us over into a housing emergency was the rug being pulled away from underneath us by a 24 per cent cut in capital housing allowance and future cuts being looked at.

"We need to be working together to actually address it and see what the implications are for the people in Fife so we can deal with the situation we’re in now as best we can.” 

Mr Mills said: “We have the workings of the high level plan; what we don’t have is the resourcing plan behind that." 

In the report, he said it was “unclear” whether any financial resources will be made available to support local authorities declaring housing emergencies.  He added that the position may change after the general election.

The next version of the action plan in October will look at options to maintain the council’s affordable housing programme.

It will also develop options to finance and revise property acquisitions by the end of the year.  The detailed action plan will look to promote flexible housing allocation policies and improve council approaches to address condensation, dampness and mould.

The council also wants to look at ways to get people into empty homes in the private sector and keep private owners and tenants in their homes through housing support and other measures. 

They will also look at options to eradicate the use of unsuitable accommodation, such as B&Bs and hotels.