Places for People Scotland respond to National Housing Agency

Last week the First Minister of Scotland John Swinney announced a new national housing agency to help boost housebuilding across the country. The agency, More Homes Scotland, promises to deliver new homes more quickly and more affordably.
 
Responding to the news, Kelly Brown, Director of Places for People Scotland, said:

“This week’s announcement of a new housing agency for Scotland is a timely and positive step, coming as one in twenty people waits for a social home and 10,000 children live in temporary accommodation.
 
“At Places for People Scotland, we have long called for a more coordinated approach to housing delivery. A framework built on simplicity, scale and speed can help unlock the change Scotland urgently needs, and we stand ready to play our part.
 
“We commend the agency’s broad focus of supporting major affordable housing projects, strengthening rural and island communities, unlocking land and enabling infrastructure to bring stalled sites forward. We also strongly support its commitment to exploring innovative approaches to unlocking finance, an area where we are already leading with partners in England.
 
“Creating thriving communities and building the right homes in the right places remains our central mission. Our recent partnership with Orkney Islands Council to deliver 500 new homes, up to 60% affordable, makes us the first national provider to build in the islands – and we're eager to maintain this momentum.
 
“More Homes Scotland is a major opportunity to address the country’s urgent needs. The skills shortage remains a major barrier, and we look forward to working with the Cabinet Secretary and partners to accelerate delivery and help create more thriving Communities across Scotland.”