South of Scotland Housing Action Plan

Creating more homes, and more choice of homes, where they are needed in the region.

REP Members With Housing Minister Paul Maclennan To Launch The Sos Housing Action Plan

The Regional Economic Partnership (REP) launched the first South of Scotland Housing Action Plan in July 2024.

This ambitious plan set out the route to create more homes and more choice of homes where they are needed, with the expectation to deliver over 9,000 homes across the region in the next 10 years.

Housing was identified as a key challenge when the Regional Economic Strategy was launched in 2021. It is essential that people, including the working age population, can find the homes they need in our largely rural region – and creating those homes will bring huge opportunities for regional construction and development sectors. 

 

Creating the right homes in the right places for our communities can contribute to the ambition to be a green, fair and flourishing region and will:

 

  • support the economy to grow and thrive
  • underpin the exciting investment happening in the region
  • attract new people to boost the region’s working age population
  • allow the young people who want to stay and work in the South of Scotland to do so rather than moving elsewhere
  • enable the region to keep delivering vital services such as health and social care

Housing is a complex landscape with different responsibilities and roles across multiple organisations and businesses. The actions in this plan are targeted where they can add to existing work, such as Local Housing Strategies and Local Development Plans, and where it can create extra momentum to realise the collective economic ambitions for the region. 
 
The development of this plan involved speaking with over 50 organisations in the South of Scotland and elsewhere. These discussions helped inform what has held back development and the ambition and innovation that is ready to be unleashed.
 
This plan has six areas of focus, each rooted in insights provided from the discussions:

  • Growing the region’s own
  • An accessible and enabling planning environment
  • Increasing choice for all
  • Prioritising investment
  • Putting the South on the map
  • Creating the right conditions

‘We are committed to action and taking immediate steps to stimulate interest in and opportunities for development as well as creating the conditions for long-term transformation’

The focus is now on putting these actions into practice. Each action has identified leads who are responsible for coordinating activity. The Regional Economic Partnership will continue to have strategic oversight of this work and receive quarterly updates on progress against the actions.
 
The plan sought to speak to a broad range of people and organisations involved in housing, but the REP is aware they will continue to learn as this plan is put into action. Where new opportunities and ideas emerge, the REP will be proactive in taking those forward to keep the plan relevant and responsive. 
 
The Regional Economic Partnership encourages anyone with an interest in this work to get in touch.

This plan has been developed in partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Borders Housing Association, Wheatley Homes and the Scottish Government.

South of Scotland Housing Action Plan
HAP Image (1)
Sos REP Housing Action Plan 2024 DIGITAL VERSION | 7MB
View the brand new South of Scotland Housing Action Plan here.
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