LATEST Scottish Government housing statistics (released today) highlight major concern for the continuing fall in the number of new homes started across all sectors, which now stands at 25% below those started in the pre-pandemic year to end March 2020.
Jane Wood, Chief Executive of sector body Homes for Scotland (HFS), which represents members delivering the majority of the country’s new homes, said:
“These housing statistics are essential data for our sector and we appreciate the fact that there is no longer a time lag of a quarter that existed in previous publications for the figures presented between private-led and social home building.
“As we have been warning over the past six months, the continuing downward trend in the number of new homes started across all sectors (down 2% from 2021-22 and 25% from pre-pandemic figures (2019-2020) is of great concern, reflecting the ongoing challenges and blockers faced by our home builder members.
“Whilst we are seeing a welcome increase in completions, with financial year figures for 2022-23 (23,512) showing an edging towards pre-financial crisis total completion levels, this is still down 9% on this figure (25,788).
“The appointments of the new Minister for Housing and Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning present the perfect opportunity to review regulatory policy and address those barriers to development in order to ensure our members are able to deliver more housing in Scotland which meets the needs and aspirations of everyone living here.”
From the Scottish Government’s Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply (published 27 June 2023)
