Brian Taylor's blog

Stewart Maxwell unveiled plans for government grants and shared equity schemes to help those on low incomes.

The Open Market Shared Equity scheme was previously trialled in Edinburgh and Lothians and will be rolled out in six other areas.

People in Highland, Aberdeen and Moray are among those included.

The initiative, which allows people to buy a home on the open market with the assistance of a housing association, has been extended to cover Aberdeenshire, Stirling and Perth and Kinross.

Housing supply is failing to match demand and first-time buyers are being priced out of the market adding to the pressures on an already stretched social rented sector. Stewart Maxwell Communities Minister

Mr Maxwell said: "Through the Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers, we are expanding assistance through a mix of government grants, shared-equity schemes and mortgage-related products and services.

"Housing supply is failing to match demand and first-time buyers are being priced out of the market adding to the pressures on an already stretched social rented sector.

"I am particularly keen to work with private lenders and investors to help achieve more shared-equity homes for first-time buyers, by taking forward our manifesto commitment to create a Scottish Housing Support Fund."

Out of reach

James Jopling, head of campaigns for Shelter Scotland, welcomed the scheme.

He said it would allow more people a chance to buy a first property.

But more investment was needed to ensure everyone had the right to affordable housing, he added.

"What this scheme won't do is help people for whom even buying 60% of a house is way out of reach," he said.

"With over 9,000 individuals and families in temporary accommodation and around 200,000 on house waiting lists, the big priority is to increase real choice for those excluded from decent housing.