Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2026 [Draft]
I have heard from many young people—and, increasingly, not so young people—in Scotland for whom the hopeful prospect of owning their own home one day is becoming ever more distant. We all know that, by the end of the month, by the time that food costs, energy costs and rent have been met, there is very little left to put away for a mortgage.
Through our rural and islands housing grant scheme, which has recently been announced, we will support first-time buyers in rural Scotland. We also have the extant low-cost initiative for first-time buyers, which is running currently. The First Minister recently confirmed that, if re-elected, we will introduce a first homes fund, offering a £10,000 equity contribution to assist first-time buyers with their deposits.