You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Scottish housing bodies assess affordable homes need ahead of 2026 election
Three Scottish housing organisations have launched a research project to identify the number of new affordable homes needed ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and Shelter Scotland have commissioned the research, which will report on the country’s affordable housing need over the length of the next parliamentary term from 2026 to 2031.
Researchers will consider the success of Scotland’s current Affordable Housing Supply Programme and levels of demand to identify how many new homes are required.
Findings are expected by the summer of 2025 and will be used by the housing bodies to inform discussions with all political parties ahead of the Scottish parliamentary elections in 2026.
READ MORE
The research will be carried out by Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Sheffield and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Research. The latter also produced two previous reports in 2015 and 2020.
Its last findings, published in March 2020, identified that 53,000 affordable homes were needed in Scotland by 2026. Since then, 13 Scottish councils have declared a housing emergency, with the Scottish government declaring a nationwide housing emergency in May 2024.
Meanwhile, social housing completions fell by a quarter in 2024 amid a wider slump in housebuilding. The Scottish government’s affordable housebuilding programme was cut by £200m, or 26%, for 2024-25. However, it has been restored to 2024 levels for the next financial year (2025-26).
Callum Chomczuk, national director at CIH Scotland, said: “Escalating costs of construction and an underfunding of Scotland’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme have set us back in delivering the social and affordable homes Scotland needs in this parliamentary term.
“We hope this research will provide a new baseline and accurate assessment of affordable housing need, and will be reflected by all parties in the housing policies of their 2026 manifestos.”
The Scottish government has continued to affirm its target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in rural and island communities.
By September 2024, 24,382 affordable homes had been completed towards the target. These completions consist of 18,539 (76%) homes for social rent, 3,501 (14%) for affordable rent, and 2,342 (10%) for affordable home ownership.
Sally Thomas, chief executive of the SFHA, said: “Amid the backdrop of a national housing emergency, it is essential that there is a clear and definitive understanding of the scale of need for a safe, secure and affordable home.
“This research will be crucial in helping us chart a path out of the emergency, setting out not only the number of affordable homes needed across Scotland but informing the investment required to build them.”
Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We know there is an urgent need for more social homes to be built in Scotland. With 10,110 children in temporary homes, ensuring safe and permanent housing for families in Scotland needs to be a crucial priority for all parties in their housing policy.
“Since the last report in 2020, 13 local authorities have declared a housing emergency after decades of under-investment. Since March 2022 and June 2024, 22,743 affordable homes have been built. That is 21% of the target.
“We hope this report will serve as a stark reminder of the need for safe, secure and affordable homes for the people of Scotland so that no one finds themselves homeless.”
Sign up for our development and finance newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
