We must accelerate the delivery of new rural housing 

An economically successful Scotland needs strong and sustainable rural, island and coastal communities and economies.

This includes rural primary sectors and the vast array of businesses and organisations large and small located in rural areas.

Drawing on insight from extensive stakeholder engagement, Prosper’s Housing Supply for a Growing Economy report warns that Scotland’s growth is held back by a chronic shortage of housing. We make recommendations across five key themes indicating that to unlock economic prosperity we must prioritise and accelerate the delivery of new housing.

Housing is a cornerstone to ensuring that Scotland’s diverse rural, island and coastal communities thrive and remain vibrant. Housing also underpins our success in supporting the Just Transition, grasping the opportunities pipeline from new economic and employment opportunities that are forecast, and redressing rural depopulation.

New housing in rural areas can transform communities – however it is important that the right homes are built in the right places; as a development of just four homes can reinvigorate and anchor a community.

The housing challenge for rural areas includes meeting the need for homes that attract high skilled occupations, business leaders and managers, along with the need for affordable key worker housing and short-term accommodation for infrastructure projects and seasonal roles.

This challenge is compounded by a number of other factors such as the higher cost to build, availability and cost effectiveness of land and infrastructure for homes to be built, and a lack of flexibility and longer-term commitment in grant funding.

Our report includes key recommendations aimed at unlocking rural housing, including ways to incentivise SME builders and reduce the cost-to-build, recognising that new homes breathe life into rural places. With greater intent to remove barriers and accelerate delivery of new homes in rural areas we will be better able to achieve all of Scotland’s social, environmental, and economic ambitions.