The Scottish government won’t be able to make a dent on supply unless it trains more housing professionals like surveyors, RICS said.
The organisation argued that a lack of professionals are already constraining housing delivery, infrastructure investment, and large-scale decarbonisation.
The ‘RICS Manifesto’ urged the Scottish government to provide fully-funded apprenticeship training for all SME-employed apprentices aged under 25 (aligning with the UK commitment).
It also called for a review of building surveying and commercial valuation courses, as well as a review of Scottish government funding for higher education.
Nick Maclean, president of RICS, said: “The manifesto offers a clear platform to inform party policies ahead of the budget and election, and we look forward to working with them to secure a fair, sustainable and prosperous future for Scotland.”
To deliver on climate ambitions, the manifesto called for a joined-up approach to retrofitting homes, including quality assurance frameworks to ensure work meets high standards, expert guidance and professional regulation for homeowners, and robust monitoring to prevent poor installations.
RICS also urged the next government to establish a ‘ministerial oversight group’ on retrofit and to introduce legislation to measure and report embodied carbon.
The group called for the government to create a Housing Land Agency, which could push modern methods of construction (prefab) for social housing and ensure local development plans are up to date.
Robert Toomey, senior public affairs manager at RICS said: “The next government will govern at a pivotal moment for the built environment in Scotland, with the Budget playing a decisive role in what can realistically be delivered.
“From tackling the housing emergency to delivering energy security through investment in vital infrastructure, funding decisions taken in the coming term will shape Scotland for generations.”