Money for Hotels and Houses in Scotland

May 4, 2026, 18:33
EuropePolitics

Introduction

Scottish cities spend a lot of money on hotels for people with no homes. Now, politicians are arguing about how to fix this problem.

Main Body

Between 2023 and 2025, cities spent £228 million on hotels. Many people stayed there. Glasgow spent the most money. Many of these people are refugees from other countries. Some politicians say the government did not build enough cheap houses. They say the government took away money for homes. Other politicians say the UK government is the problem because they did not give enough money for rent. Different groups have different plans. Some want to build 10,000 homes for workers. Others want to use old, empty buildings. Glasgow wants to build 6,400 cheap homes and buy private houses.

Conclusion

Scotland still has a big problem with houses. Many people do not have a home and 250,000 people are waiting for one.

Learning

🏠 Describing 'Quantity' and 'Size'

In this story, we see words that tell us how much or how many. This is a key skill for A2 English.

1. Using 'Many' vs 'A lot of' Both words mean a large number, but we use them differently here:

  • A lot of money → used for things we can't count (money is treated as one big group).
  • Many people → used for things we can count (1 person, 2 people).

2. The 'Cheap' Scale Look at the word Cheap. It is the opposite of Expensive.

  • Cheap houses → houses that do not cost much money.

3. Numbers in Context When you see big numbers, look for the word that follows them to understand the scale:

  • £228 million (Very high cost)
  • 10,000 homes (A large building project)
  • 250,000 people (A very large group of humans)

Quick Pattern Summary: Many → Countable items (People/Houses) →\rightarrow A lot of →\rightarrow General amounts (Money)

Vocabulary Learning

money (n.)
currency used for buying and selling goods and services
Example:She saved a lot of money for her trip.
city (n.)
a large town or urban area
Example:London is a bustling city.
spend (v.)
to use money or time
Example:They spend their weekends hiking.
hotel (n.)
a place where people stay for a night
Example:We booked a hotel near the beach.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:The people in the park were laughing.
home (n.)
a place where one lives
Example:She returned home after school.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country
Example:The government announced new policies.
build (v.)
to construct
Example:They will build a new bridge.
cheap (adj.)
low in price
Example:They bought cheap clothes.
house (n.)
a building for people to live in
Example:They moved into a new house.
rent (n.)
payment for using a property
Example:He pays rent every month.
group (n.)
a collection of people
Example:The group went to the museum.
plan (n.)
a detailed proposal
Example:She made a plan for the trip.
work (n.)
employment
Example:He has a job at the office.
old (adj.)
from a long time ago
Example:The old building was renovated.
empty (adj.)
having no contents
Example:The empty room was cold.
building (n.)
a structure with walls
Example:The building is under construction.
buy (v.)
to purchase
Example:They want to buy a car.
private (adj.)
owned by individuals
Example:He lives in a private home.
big (adj.)
large in size
Example:The big dog barked loudly.
problem (n.)
a difficult situation
Example:They faced a big problem.
wait (v.)
to stay until something happens
Example:She will wait for the bus.
one (pron.)
a single person or thing
Example:I need one more cup.
Scottish (adj.)
relating to Scotland
Example:Scottish culture is unique.
Scotland (n.)
a country in the UK
Example:Scotland has many castles.