9
Jan
Scottish budget provides for affordable homes
The Scottish government has announced its Budget Bill for 2009-10,
which includes money for new affordable housing.
Finance secretary John Swinney unveiled a range of measures in the
bill, including the bringing forward of £10 million for
affordable housing provision.
This was in addition to £10 million added after the pre-Budget
report and £100 million announced for 2009 and 2010 last
August.
Such help could enable those seeking to get on the housing ladder
in Scotland to do so more easily.
Scotland has more affordable housing than the UK overall, with
Nationwide disclosing that the average house price there is
£138,941, compared with the UK average of £156,828.
The building society revealed that prices in Scotland rose by 0.1
per cent in the fourth quarter of 2008, the only region in the UK
to see an improvement.
It also saw a lower fall in prices through the whole year at 8.1
per cent.
