Council’s £78m housing boost

Money is for new affordable homes

More than £78 million is being allocated to South Lanarkshire Council to stimulate investment in affordable housing.

The funding from the Scottish Government will be spread over the next three years.

It is designed to help the council and house-builders plan their investment and provide certainty on the amount of funding available until 2021.

And it could mean 1000 new affordable homes being built across South Lanarkshire.

The new chair of the council’s housing and technical resources, councillor Josh Wilson, said: “The news that South Lanarkshire is to receive more than £78m over the next three years provides the certainty that both the local authority and the sector needs to continue our ambitious plans to provide new high-quality accommodation and improving the lives of our tenants and communities.

“One thousand new homes by 2021/22 is an ambitious target but, with support from the Scottish Government, one that we will look to meet while adding value in terms of a range of other community benefits, including employment and training opportunities.”

The funding will begin with £23.592 million for the 2018-19 financial year – rising to £26.690 million in 2019-20 and £28.476 million in 2020-21.

Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse MSP Christina Mckelvie this week welcomed the funding.

She said: “The announcement that South Lanarkshire will receive £78 million over the next three years provides the certainty that my constituency and the sector needs to keep progressing. The funding also ensures we keep up the momentum to reach the Scottish Government’s target of 50,000 new affordable homes by 2021.

“Increasing the supply of affordable homes is a key SNP commitment and plays a vital role in helping to tackle poverty and inequality in throughout Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

“Committing funding until the end of this parliament will help ensure that Scotland leads the way in building homes that are high-quality, efficient and affordable, and will strengthen our house-building sector and the estimated 14,000 jobs that the affordable housing supply programme supports each year.”

Affordable housing covers homes for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership.

Announcing the funding, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We are ensuring that South Lanarkshire has homes that are high-quality, efficient and affordable.

“Today, we are announcing to local authorities how much money they’ll have to invest in affordable housing until the end of this Parliament. It means they can plan these new affordable homes now – with the certainty that the funding will increase year-on-year.

“This is also an important signal to the house-building sector in Scotland and demonstrates our commitment to the industry and the estimated 14,000 jobs our affordable housing supply programme supports each year.”

One thousand new homes by 2021-22 is an ambitious target