Are homeownership aspirations being stifled?

New research has highlighted that two fifths of Scottish non-homeowners do not believe that they will ever be able to own their own home.

Related topics:  Property
Rozi Jones
5th February 2016
time house

The home building industry is now warning that the aspirations of many individuals and families across the country are being stifled.

Trade body Homes for Scotland pointed to official Scottish Government data showing that the majority of people living in Scotland desire to own their own home.  

Scotland has experienced a 6% fall in homeownership between 2009 and 2014, which Homes for Scotland has attributed to the dramatic decline in home building and the difficulties many people have encountered in getting large mortgage deposits together.

As the building of new homes remains 40% down on 2007 levels, HFS Chief Executive Nicola Barclay emphasised the industry was doing all it could to step up production, but that more government action was needed to ensure that Scotland’s housing meets the diverse needs of all those living here.

She said:

“Whilst it is encouraging that the Bank of Scotland report reveals that younger generations are more optimistic about buying a home, the reality of the situation is that affordability continues to impact on this most fundamental of ambitions. It is therefore crucial that we see a significant increase in the production of all-tenure home building. This is the only way to tackle house price inflation and would also alleviate pressure on other sectors.

“That is why we are calling on the next Scottish Government to manage a return to pre-recession levels of home building which would mean at least 100,000 new homes by the end of the next parliamentary term.  With details of the next phase of the successful Help to Buy (Scotland) shared equity initiative recently announced, we are hopeful that this could go some way to helping achieve this target and enable more Scots to take steps onto and up the housing ladder. However, the impact of criteria changes and reduced funding for the successor scheme remains to be seen.”

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