On his first public visit as Housing Minister, Mr McLennan visited the Letham Mains housing development in Haddington and saw first-hand how Scottish Government funding is supporting local councils and housing associations to deliver energy-efficient homes that meet the needs of communities across Scotland.
Outlining his priorities, Mr McLennan said: "My aim is for everyone to have a warm, safe, affordable home that meets their needs and these 37 new social rented homes in Haddington by East Lothian Council, supported by £2.2 million of Scottish Government funding, will make a real and lasting difference to the lives of the new residents.
"Housing to 2040 sets out the vision for what we want Scotland’s homes and communities to look like. That includes ensuring people have access to green space and essential services, and putting an end to fuel poverty and homelessness.
"Scotland has led the way in delivering affordable housing across the UK, with more than 118,000 homes delivered since 2007 and we are committed to delivering on our target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities.
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"I am well aware of the global issues affecting construction which are impacting housing delivery. I am confident, however, that with the continued support of our partners we can achieve our shared goal of delivering more affordable homes for the people of Scotland.
"Scotland has the strongest rights for homeless households in the UK and we are looking to strengthen these further - taking steps to reduce stays in temporary accommodation, eradicate rough sleeping and prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.
"We are also taking steps to make the right to an adequate home a reality, tackle high rents and increase stability for those in the private rented sector and give local authorities the tools they need to improve access to housing in their local areas.
"I look forward to working with all partners in the coming months as we redouble our efforts to support a robust and strong housing system for now and the future."
East Lothian Council’s Cabinet Spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, Councillor Andy Forrest, said: "I was pleased to welcome the Housing Minister to this latest phase of the wider development at Letham Mains, which is providing 800 much-needed new homes for this area including affordable housing and, of course, the new Letham Mains Primary School. Letham also includes a local centre, community facilities and transport links. This site forms part of the council’s general commitment to build almost 2,000 new affordable homes between now and the financial year 2026/27.
"East Lothian Council is fully committed to preventing and tackling homelessness and welcomes continued engagement with the Scottish Government, and now with our new Minister, to jointly address housing issues and pressures specific to East Lothian."
Tommy Stirling, Production Director for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland added: "We are pleased to have had the opportunity to meet the new Housing Minister, Paul McLennan, during his visit to Letham Mains. We are proud of our long and established relationship with East Lothian Council, which has and continues to deliver much-needed affordable homes locally at Letham Mains, Haddington. This visit was a great opportunity for the Minister to see first-hand the high-quality affordable homes that we are building."
