Scotland should have 100,000 homes built over the course of the next parliament – according to Ruth Davidson.
In a speech delivered to party members yesterday, the Scottish Tory leader said getting on the housing ladder “shouldn’t be the preserve of the rich, or only those who can tap the bank of Mum and Dad.”
Speaking in Aberdeen, she said the Scottish Government needed to make it easier for houses of all types to be built.
She questioned why the Granite City struggled to recruit teachers and nurses, and said it was partly because of a lack of affordable homes.
“This is the fastest growing area in Scotland,” she said.
“It is estimated that by 2030 the north-east will need and extra 55,000 homes to cope.
“And the fact they’re not being built means that, even now, the average house price here is £228,864 – 30% higher than the rest of Scotland.
“That’s great if you’re already on the housing ladder… not so great if you’re a young person trying to buy a home.”
The Scottish Conservatives argue that the SNP should bring together public and private sectors to get house building back to pre-recession levels.
The party wants to see a 10% year on year increase which would increase house building from just over 16,000 to more than 26,000 by 2021, adding 109,000 new properties by the end of 2021.