A CAMPAIGN group has called on the Scottish Government to establish rights for young people to live in the community where they grew up amid the ongoing housing crisis.
Community Land Scotland (CLS) is calling for politicians to establish better rights for young people across Scotland who they say are in danger of being cleared from their communities.
The campaign group said that rural areas are some of the worst affected by the housing crisis as they lack affordable homes, which paired with other economic issues, has contributed to the “decimation” of local communities.
They added that the economic strain of living in rural areas is pushing many young people in Scotland to move away to find a new home.
CLS’s declaration sets out a “collective vision” for a “flourishing Scotland” through community ownership by 2034.
The five targets set out in CLS’s Perth Declaration are:
- Secure diversified revenue streams to ensure financial stability with the ownership of assets at the heart of community-led organisations.
- Community engagement between community landowners and their communities is purposeful, tailored, timely and continuous.
- Land reform to address wealth imbalances.
- A Scottish Community Wealth Fund from renewable energy development provides resource-deprived communities with income-generating assets.
- An inclusive and enabling environment for high quality apprenticeships and jobs is created.
The organisation said their aims can be supported by a Scottish Community Wealth Fund to invest into community housing projects as well as establishing legislation to free up land for housing through Sites of Community Significance in the proposed Land Reform Bill.
CLS development manager, Linsay Chalmers, said many young people from rural communities want to stay where they grew up but due to the housing crisis are unable to.
She said: “Our members are very clear that they want to see people - particularly young people - have a 'Right to Live' in their communities. Many of the places where our members are based have plenty of jobs - and young people who want to stay and contribute - but there is nowhere affordable for them to live.
“This is decimating communities and leaving young people with little choice but to move away.
“Many community landowners are building affordable housing at the moment but it can be a huge task for community organisations with voluntary boards to take on in their spare time. The housing crisis is not something they can solve on their own.
“A Right to Live would mean that the Scottish Government would have to take a more strategic and creative approach to policy and legislation to ensuring that young people could stay in communities.”
The declaration by CLS is backed by its membership and aims to work with the public sector and Scottish Government to create the cultural, financial, and policy environment to deliver their aims.
CLS said it will use the Land Reform Bill, the review of Community Right to Buy law and the Community Wealth Building Bill to help advance change in Scotland’s land ownership system.
