NICOLA Sturgeon will today commit for 100,000 new homes to be built in the next decade – promising to support 14,000 jobs a year as part of Scotland's recovery from the pandemic.
Under the SNP, almost 100,000 homes have been built since 2007.
The First Minister will announce the pledge at the Cosla conference today, claiming the policy will generate up to £16 billion of investment –making it the largest home-building and investment programme since devolution.
Ms Sturgeon will stress that at least 70 per cent of the homes will be for social rent.
The SNP also pledged to introduce a new single standard for housing quality, making sure homes are more energy efficient, more spacious and better quality.
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She is expected to say: “In partnership with councils and social landlords, we have delivered nearly 100,000 affordable homes in our time in office - and if the SNP is re-elected, ramping up this ambition will be central to our plans.
“We will deliver a further 100,000 affordable homes over the next decade - with at least 70% of these being for social rent. “We’ll back this major ambitious programme with £3.4 billion investment in the next parliamentary term. This target overall would support about £16 billion in total investment and up to 14,000 jobs a year.
“That is a huge investment in jobs, in homes and in better communities - a down-payment on Scotland’s economic recovery.
“We will also introduce a new single standard for housing quality, making sure homes are more energy efficient, more spacious and better quality.
“Housing has been a priority for the SNP Government since we were first elected - and if we are re-elected it will remain firmly at the top of the agenda.”
Yesterday, the First Minister was out campaigning in Glasgow with Roza Salih, whose family fled to Scotland from Kurdistan. She is the lead candidate on the Glasgow regional list for the SNP in May’s Scottish Parliament elections.
Ms Salih, who would be the first former refugee to be elected to Holyrood, met Ms Sturgeon as the First Minister signed the Scottish Refugee Council election pledge.
This year’s election will be the first time people with refugee status have been entitled to vote in the Scottish Parliament elections.
And the pledge, which candidates are being asked to sign, commits them to making Scotland a “welcoming place” and to “stand up for the rights, dignity, and protection of all people seeking safety and rebuilding their lives here”.
Ms Salih, who previously campaigned against dawn raids on asylum seekers as one the Glasgow Girls group, said: “Scotland is at its best as a country when a broad diversity of voices are reflected at all levels of society.
READ MORE: Scotland sees soaring number in temporary accommodation during pandemic
“That’s why it’s absolutely vital that those who can register to vote do so now, especially as new legislation which ensures people can vote no matter where they were born, including those with refugee status, comes into effect.
“While I am immensely proud of the progress the SNP has made to ensure Scotland is a country which welcomes and stands up for the rights of the people who want to come here, we know there’s still further to go.
“We should have a parliament that looks like the country it represents and that’s why I am proud to be standing for the SNP in this election, and proud that the SNP has taken steps to ensure that we have more diversity in our candidates.”
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