Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, MSP, outlined ambitious plans for housing reform in a speech yesterday, promising the introduction of a Housing Bill aimed at long-term rent controls, new tenant rights, and homelessness prevention.
In a bid to alleviate housing issues, the Government also pledges a £750m investment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with a focus on rural and island communities.
“We will also introduce a Housing Bill to introduce long-term rent controls and new tenant rights, and to establish new duties for the prevention of homelessness,” Yousaf stated.
The Scottish Government aims to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation while also focusing on rural housing. “Ten percent of those homes will be located in rural and island communities because we know those communities are facing housing challenges,” Yousaf added.
The housing sector has broadly welcomed these developments. Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, a professional body for estate agents, expressed support for the Government’s plans.
“We welcome plans outlined today by the Scottish Parliament to invest £750m towards building affordable homes. Providing functional and long-term housing solutions is vital to growing a robust well-balanced economy,” said Emerson.
However, Emerson also called for the proposal to be scrutinised carefully to ensure it remains aligned with real-world demand over time. “We urge the proposal of 110,000 new homes to be built by 2032 to be kept under scrutiny to ensure it meets precise demand as time progresses. It is vital not to have a proposal that may meet its initial target from many years past but potentially might not meet real world demand by the time it is accomplished,” he concluded.
