A Scottish scheme to help people on lower incomes buy their first property has been expanded.
The “open market shared equity scheme” will increase by £62 million to £90 million over the next two years, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced.
Eligible buyers are able to purchase a home by paying a majority share while the Scottish Government takes a stake by providing the remaining amount.
Mrs Burgess, in Govan to see how the scheme works in practice, said: “People in Scotland who should rightly be able to afford a mortgage are still facing real challenges buying a home.
“This overall investment of £90 million over two years demonstrates our commitment to do all we can to help creditworthy buyers to buy their first home.”
More than 2,700 people on low to moderate incomes have been helped over the past four years while pressure on councils and housing authorities has been lifted, she said.
The new funds mark the latest in a series of housing announcements.
The SNP administration pledged last week to end right-to-buy legislation, a policy brought in by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1980s which allowed council tenants to purchase their home.
On Monday, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said housing subsidies will be increased in an attempt to boost the number of so-called affordable homes.