You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Scottish government to focus on housing for ageing population
The Scottish government is working on plans to make its housing suitable for an ageing population, it revealed today.
Speaking to a meeting of the Local Government and Communities Committee, communities secretary Aileen Campbell said the issue was a high priority for government as it ups housebuilding.
Ms Campbell told the committee: “We need to make sure that those houses that we’re building are fit for purpose, not just in the here and now but also in the future.
“So alongside the current ambition on delivery [of 50,000 new affordable homes], we’re also working around what that vision will look like beyond 2021 as well, working through with partners around the changing demographics, the different ways we’ll need to ensure innovations around different building techniques and all those things that enable us to adapt those homes to be suitable for people’s changing needs.”
READ MORE
She said that the government is currently speaking to house builders, local authorities and housing associations to find a solution to the issue.
Ms Campbell became cabinet secretary for communities and local government in June last year as Angela Constance, whose brief had included housing, lost her job as cabinet secretary for communities, social security and equalities.
She was speaking on Wednesday to the committee about the Scottish Budget for 2019/20, which was published last month.
In the Budget, the government increased investment in the Affordable Housing Supply programme to £826m and promised to make further allocations from its £50m fund to tackle homelessness.
The Budget also included a pledge to tackle “infrastructure blockages” through a flexible grant and loan fund as well as a Rental Income Guarantee Scheme to support Build to Rent.
Presenting the Budget to the Scottish Parliament, finance secretary Derek Mackay also pledged: “The next £50m of the £150m Building Scotland Fund announced last year, will provide debt and equity support to the private sector and organisations, such as housing associations and universities, to support the development of housing across all tenures, develop modern industrial and commercial space and support industry-led research and development.”
