£161,630 has been spent this year in Orkney mitigating cruel Tory cuts including the disgraceful bedroom tax. In 2021/22 £161,630 was provided by the SNP Scottish Government in Discretionary Housing Payments to protect families from cuts, with £137,413 spent mitigating the impact of the cruel Tory bedroom tax in Orkney. Across Scotland £82million has been [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has weighed in on the recent land ownership scandal surrounding the “Everyone Wins” gift bags for top nominees at the Academy Awards, where recipients were given informal certificates from Highland Titles Ltd claiming they are now ‘lords’ and ‘ladies of Glencoe’ and granting them ownership of 1 square foot [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick, attending a rally outside the Scottish Parliament in support of the Fix Student Housing campaign on Wednesday [23RD MARCH], expressed her support for the campaign’s aims and pledged to work to end substandard housing conditions experienced by Scotland’s students. The campaign, organised by the National Union of Students, seeks to increase [...]

Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick has criticised the UK Government’s spend on Discretionary Housing Payments, highlighting that the total spend in England and Wales is only slightly more than what is spent in Scotland, where it is estimated over £71 million is being spent annually to mitigate the Tories’ Bedroom Tax. The SNP MSP [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has questioned the Scottish Government on when her party’s manifesto commitment to devolve powers to local authorities to manage high numbers of second homes would be progressed. Commenting on the importance of this policy, she said: “I was elected last year on the strength of an SNP manifesto which promised a [...]

Watch the speech here . Emma Roddick MSP has today highlighted the barriers those who are experiencing homelessness currently face in Scotland. The SNP MSP voiced concerns over social isolation and access to health and social care for those experiencing homelessness. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Roddick described homelessness as a 'trauma' and, [...]

Emma Roddick MSP has today voiced her concerns over high levels of homelessness in the Highlands and Islands, particularly Skye, where young people are most likely to experience homelessness in the Highland Council area. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament debate on Wednesday, the SNP MSP opened up about her own experience of homelessness describing it [...]

SNP MSP Emma Roddick has received a commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Shona Robison, to revisit the issue of tackling the increasing numbers of short-term lets next year.  This move follows the removal of a power for local authorities to refuse new licensing due to overprovision from the Scottish Government’s new Short-term Lets [...]

Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Emma Roddick has told the Scottish Government that the housing crisis cannot be solved by housebuilding alone, calling for ministers to work across portfolios to help people in the Highlands who are struggling to find an affordable place to live. She highlighted the loss of properties which could be used [...]

Full article available on the Inverness Courier website: https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/homeless-people-charged-an-extra-54-on-top-of-rent-every-we-262486