Meeting of the Parliament 31 October 2023
That is something that I think would be considered. In terms of engaging stakeholders, we met NFU Scotland and the Crofting Commission, and I also met Scottish Land & Estates to talk about those issues. Again, those things are mentioned in the plan and we will try to develop them. I agree with Fergus Ewing that there is a great opportunity to work with landowners and farmers in that regard. The discussions with them will continue as the plan moves forward.
I return to the rural and islands housing fund. I mentioned that there will be up to £30 million funding for that in this session of Parliament. The fund continues to play an important role in helping community organisations and others to deliver affordable homes, while complementing delivery through our mainstream programme by councils and housing associations in rural and island areas.
We have a strong track record, having delivered more than 10,000 affordable homes since 2016. However, we recognise that we need to do more, and the rural and islands housing plan sets out our next steps. We know that providing affordable housing in rural and island areas can be complex and that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Many of the actions that are included in the action plan seek to address key challenges and put in place the systems and support for the delivery of the right homes in the right places so that our rural and island communities can thrive.
I will highlight some of the key actions that are included in the plan. Issues relating to key workers have been raised by a number of members in correspondence with me. The plan recognises the importance of employers being able to attract and retain key workers in rural and island areas, not only to support service delivery in communities but to support economic growth and prosperity. I have met a number of employers to talk about some of the schemes that have come forward, and we continue to work in close partnership with them in that regard.
The plan includes an action to allocate up to £25 million from our affordable homes budget over the next five years to fund the purchase or long leasing of properties, including empty houses, so that they can be turned into homes for key workers and others who need affordable housing.