Briefing for Stage 3 of the Scottish Budget

As things stand, housing investment has taken the biggest hit in this year’s budget round, with the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) falling by £204 million from this year to next.

Housing investment is uniquely well-placed to help Scotland’s economy accelerate out of a very fragile recovery. Of all capital programmes, housing investment translates most swiftly into activity and jobs on the ground.

Investment in new affordable homes is desperately needed to meet Scotland’s internationally-acclaimed commitment to house all homeless people by 2012, to get families out of expensive temporary accommodation and to slash massive waiting lists. We recognise that the Budget faces a series of constraints but also argue that there is scope to switch spending even at this late stage.