Tories vow to build 80,000 new affordable homes by 2031

The Scottish Tories have unveiled proposals to build 80,000 more affordable homes by 2031.

In a paper published on Friday, the party said it would exceed the calls from housing bodies for 78,000 more homes by the end of the next parliamentary term if it wins power in May, by cutting regulation on the sector.

The Tories are consistently polling in fourth place ahead of May’s election, behind the SNP, Labour and Reform UK.

A report from charity Shelter Scotland, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Chartered Institute of Housing found Scotland needs to build more than 15,000 affordable homes a year to alleviate pressure on the system.

The Tory plans would commit to no new housing regulations for at least the next parliamentary term, along with the scrapping of the national planning framework, which would be replaced by each council setting their own policy.

The ban on gas boilers in newbuild homes, as well as the Passivhaus regulations – which mandate triple-glazed windows and better insulation – would also be scrapped.

The party’s housing spokeswoman, Meghan Gallacher, said: “After 19 years of SNP failure, Scotland is in a housing emergency.

“Housebuilding has stalled due to their budget cuts, rent controls and open-door immigration policies. As a result, homelessness is rising and vulnerable families are being left in the lurch.

“Urgent action is needed to address this crisis – and that’s what our paper proposes.

“We are setting a clear and deliverable target of building 80,000 affordable homes by 2031, matching what the experts say Scotland needs.

“To make that happen, we will take a common-sense approach – scrapping red tape and the SNP’s failed planning framework, and empowering councils to build the homes their areas actually require.

“But we must also restore safeguards in the homelessness system by reversing the SNP’s reckless decision to scrap the local connection rule, which has made Glasgow a magnet for asylum seekers.

“We will end the use of migrant hotels, returning these buildings to their original purpose.

“The Scottish Conservatives will focus on practical solutions that put vulnerable Scots first, boost supply and fix the damage caused by SNP housing policies.”

The Tory paper also announced plans to pilot so-called street votes, which would allow residents to extend or redevelop their homes by a vote of local residents.

The paper comes after the party announced it would push for the end of asylum hotels, as well as bring back a rule which would require a person to have a local connection before seeking homelessness support in that area.