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Statistics show need for housing reform - Minister
20/11/2007
The publication of new housing statistics for Scotland highlight the need for radical housing reform, says Communities and Sport Minister Stewart Maxwell.
The information, released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician, shows new build completions remaining relatively consistent over this decade and an increase in the number of local authority lets to homeless applicants.
Stewart Maxwell said:
"Last month the Scottish Government set out its vision for housing in Scotland with the publication of the consultation paper, Firm Foundations.
"These new statistics highlight the continuing challenge to improve supply and address the failure of the Scottish housing system to meet our country's current needs.
"Firm Foundations proposed big changes to meet demand and increase housing supply across all tenures. The current rate of new house building - almost 25,000 new houses last year - is simply inadequate.
"This is why we have proposed a national goal to increase new housing supply to 35,000 a year by the middle of the next decade.
"Improving supply to this level is both achievable and necessary if we are to reverse declining affordablity".