Support for homeowners

Problems of access to housing have gained a higher profile in recent years. These problems relate to both rented and owner-occupied sectors. Many people aspire to home ownership and this is becoming problematic. Average house prices have doubled in the last 10 years, with lenders showing first time buyer prices having doubled in only five years. While the Lothian housing market area and some rural areas show the greatest strain some of the largest increases in house prices have been in areas not traditionally thought of as property hotspots – for example, in South Lanarkshire.