Organizations like Shelter Scotland and various housing associations welcomed the move, noting that it halted the "drain on supply".

With roughly 150,000 to 400,000 people on social housing waiting lists at various points, she maintained that public housing should remain available for long-term rent.

In Scotland, the Right to Buy scheme—a hallmark of Margaret Thatcher’s 1980s housing policy—officially ended on July 31, 2016. Nicola Sturgeon , then First Minister, was the primary architect of its demise, describing the decision as a vital step to "safeguard social housing stock for future generations". 🏠 The End of an Era