The Scottish Government has announced a new Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan to support its commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with 10% in rural and island areas.

The plan brings together the public and private sectors working with local communities to deliver more homes where they are needed and help drive sustainable economic growth.

Commitments include supporting affordable and community-led housing delivery, bringing more empty homes back into use, providing more homes for key workers, commissioning research on affordable home ownership in rural and island areas, and addressing challenges with construction supply chains, skills, and capacity.

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Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “The Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan includes a range of commitments which will be taken forward with public and private sector partners to deliver the right homes in the right places, generate sustainable local economic growth, and help rural and island communities to thrive.

“This plan supports Scotland’s long-term housing strategy Housing to 2040 and will help bolster the commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes up to 2032, of which 70% will be for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas. It has been informed by extensive engagement with a wide range of organisations representing rural and island housing interests.

“Despite the challenges we face due to Brexit and high inflation, this plan demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting families, communities, and businesses, and to unleashing the full economic potential of our rural and island areas.”

However, the announcement received a lukewarm response from Tory rural affairs spokesperson Rachael Hamilton.

She said: “The SNP-Green government has failed to deliver on the housing needs of rural communities for far too long.

“Their flawed short-term lets scheme has already closed the doors of many small rural businesses. Their latest proposals cannot be wrong when it comes to attracting people to live in rural Scotland.

“Public interest tests have the potential to harm the rural economy, while they are still failing to recognise that a wide variety of ownership models can work for these communities.

“SNP-Green ministers must properly consult with those living in rural Scotland – particularly land managers who have already made huge adaptions – rather than imposing reforms on them that will be detrimental to their livelihoods.”

The Scottish Government recently announced a package of financial support, co-funded with Nationwide Foundation, of up to £960,000 over the period 2023-24 - 2025-26 to support the staff capacity and expertise across Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing to take forward affordable housing projects.