I NOTE your report “Government must do more to build homes’” (The Herald, March 15) and wish to clarify the views of Homes for Scotland (HFS). You refer to the latest official housing statistics which show a drop of five per cent in the overall number of new homes being started, dragged down by a worrying fall of 14 per cent in the private sector.
We have always maintained the need for housing of all tenures in order to address the chronic undersupply which is so badly affecting our young people and growing families. Rather than seeking to “switch focus away from low-income families and first-time buyers” as you report, we have consistently advocated the requirement for a complete range of housing options (whether public or private, for sale or for rent) to meet the diverse needs and aspirations of our growing population.
If we want to make Scotland a better place in which to live, work and invest, we must move away from narrow perspectives of one type of home over another with all sectors working together for the benefit of our economy and country.
Nicola Barclay,
Chief executive, Homes for Scotland, 5 New Mart Place, Edinburgh.
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