HOUSING minister Paul McLennan visited the Borders for the launch of a housing action plan in the south of Scotland.

It has been designed to help tackle the urgent need for more homes after Scottish Borders Council (SBC) declared a housing emergency in May.

The plan includes 10 ‘tangible actions’ to be carried out over the next two years, with the aim of attracting more people to the area.

Mr McLennan was at Burnfoot in Hawick on Tuesday, July 23, where Scottish Borders Housing Association is currently building 16 new homes across two sites.

The MSP for East Lothian also visited Ettrickbridge to officially open the £1.9m Kirkhope Steading.

Mr McLennan said: “The South of Scotland Housing Action Plan and the partnership work that underpins it is a key step in our collaborative response to the housing pressures facing the region.

“Across the local authorities within the south of Scotland we will make available over £27m from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2024-25, helping to deliver much-needed affordable homes.

“We remain committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, of which at least 70 per cent will be for social rent and 10 per cent in rural and island communities.”

Between 2011 and 2020, there was a 60 per cent drop in new homes for sale compared to the previous decade in the south. There is an expectation that more than 9,000 new homes could be required in the next 10 years.

Among the actions set out in the plan is a commitment to develop proposals to significantly increase construction skills provision, as well as plans to create new student and key worker accommodation.

It also states it will aim to bring together organisations to co-develop schemes that create more homes.

Euan Jardine, SBC leader, said: “It is essential for the future of the south of Scotland that we do all we can to address the housing needs of our residents and support existing businesses and further inward investment.

“The action plan does more than just target the building of new homes though, with a focus also on skills and supporting the construction sector which will be essential to ensuring that growth continues long into the future.”