FIFE Council are investing almost £390 million into housing over the next three years.

The money will improve and maintain existing stock as well as building 1,000 new affordable homes across the Kingdom.

Fife declared a housing emergency earlier this year and housing spokesperson, Councillor Judy Hamilton, commented: “Safer, warmer housing is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our communities and we are proud to announce very substantial investment in council housing over the next three years.

“This is against a backdrop of real financial challenges facing the public sector and we will be carefully monitoring the impact on our housing budget over the coming months.”

At the cabinet committee the council agreed to spend more than £164m on modernising and improving the homes they already have, with money for structural repairs, replacing roofs and roughcasting, new kitchens, bathrooms and boilers.

They'll also try and improve energy efficiency in council houses, with the aim of reducing fuel poverty, as well as their sheltered housing and gypsy traveller sites, and upgrade fire doors and replace lifts in high-rise blocks.

More than £216m will be ploughed into the affordable housing programme which is estimated will result in nearly 1,000 new council houses by 2027.

The council said they will continue to monitor the challenging financial situation - they're forecasting a £16m budget gap for 2025-26 - and particular pressures on the housing budget.

Rent options will be considered before the end of the year.

Cllr Hamilton added: “We’re continuing to invest in our priorities of home improvements, new council houses and energy efficiency.

“We have a housebuilding programme to be proud of, involving our own building services and local companies in partnership with the Scottish Government, housing associations and private developers - to build not only houses, but to create jobs and apprenticeships and support our Fife economy.

"This is very good news in these challenging times.”

The council declared a housing emergency in May, citing unprecedented pressure on services with demand for homes far outstripping supply, and highlighting the Scottish Government's 26 per cent cut in funding for the affordable housing programme. This week First Minister John Swinney announced in the Programme for Government that £600m would be invested in affordable housing across the country the current financial year.

Fife have received £1.85m to buy properties to reduce temporary accommodation and bring vacant buildings back into use.

Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "Tackling the housing emergency is one of the biggest issues in Dunfermline and across Fife right now.

"One of the key ways we can solve it is by bringing empty and vacant buildings back into use.

"Councils in Scotland have been supported to purchase almost 1,500 properties in 2023-24 for use as affordable homes and this vital funding should only accelerate that work."