Fresh new builds under construction in Scotland have dropped by a worrying 12% year-on-year.
This follows a steady trend, as completions also fell by 10%.
This means a total of 19,827 homes were completed and 14,768 were started in the year to 30 September.
The results are being blamed on rising construction costs and the underfunding of Scotland’s affordable housing programme.
The social housing budget was cut by 24% last year, a decision which was reversed in this year’s Scottish Budget – though the Budget is still smaller when you account for inflation.
Callum Chomczuk, national director at Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland said: “The figures published today are unfortunately not a surprise…
“These [housebuilding] figures make it clear that addressing the housing emergency must be a long-term priority and can’t be addressed in one year.
“This must be the start of a long-term and cross-party consensus on funding and building social and affordable housing, so everyone has a safe affordable home to live in.”
According to the housing charity Shelter, Scotland needs to increase social house building by 40% every month if they are to deliver on their promise to build 77,000 homes for social rent by 2032.
Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Building more social homes is the only way to end the housing emergency, and the government knows this.”
She added: “Despite declaring a national housing emergency earlier this year, the Scottish government has failed to get to grips with a deepening crisis that is harming people and families in every community in Scotland.”
