THE SNP have made their first pledge of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, committing to building 100,000 new homes in 10 years.
According to the party, the proposals would help support 14,000 jobs a year and generate investment of £16 billion.
This would make the programme the largest home building and investment scheme since devolution was implemented.
The party said 70% of the homes would be for social rent, while also promising to bring about a new single standard for housing quality, improving energy efficiency and space provision.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon will address the Cosla conference later today to set out the proposals.
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 £3.4bn investment in the next parliamentary term. This target overall would support about £16bn in total investment and up to 14,000 jobs a year.
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“That is a huge investment in jobs, in homes and in better communities - a down-payment on Scotland’s economic recovery.”
Sturgeon will stress that housing has been a priority for her government since it was elected, and wants to keep it at the “top of the agenda” as Scotland recovers from the pandemic.
It comes after the Scottish Government announced that more than 154,000 NHS staff will receive a 4% pay rise.
Sturgeon condemned the “miserly” pay deal being offers to health workers south of the Border, and insisted the SNP will “build a country fit for the heroes” of the pandemic.
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