Ambitious Housebuilding Programme for Scotland

That the Parliament recognises that housing helps promote social justice, strengthens communities and tackles inequality as well as being good for the economy; welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing access to good quality housing and recognises that it is a high priority for the current administration; commends the Scottish Government for being on course to exceed its five-year target of delivering 30,000 affordable homes by March 2016, including 20,000 social rented homes; acknowledges this achievement being made despite the drastic reduction in capital budgets as a result of the UK Government’s spending cuts; further recognises that the Scottish Government started a new generation of council house building, has abolished the right to buy and is leading the way in the UK in financial innovation for housing; notes that Scotland continues to outperform other parts of the UK in housing completions, and welcomes the Scottish Government’s future ambition to build a further 50,000 affordable homes for people across Scotland.