By Rory Murphy
The SNP’s record on housebuilding is shameful, Scottish Labour has said today, after new figures revealed that new homes built in Scotland have decreased across the board in 2023.
The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland decreased by a shocking 6% in the latest year to end September 2023.
Shockingly, housing association new build starts decreased by 34% and local authority new build starts decreased by a jaw-dropping 50 per cent.
The woeful figures also revealed that social rent homes approvals have hit their lowest number since 2015, and affordable housing starts were down by a starting 24 per cent since 2022.
This chaos comes just weeks after the SNP and Greens voted unanimously against Labour’s motion to declare a housing emergency, and amongst record-breaking numbers of Scots stuck in temporary accommodation.
“We are facing record levels of housing need, but the SNP and the Greens would rather bury their head in the sand than admit that they are facing a crisis.
“The SNP must get a grip on these woeful housing figures before they spiral any further.”
Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end September 2023 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland decreased by 6% (1,355 homes) in the latest year to end September 2023 to 21,952 homes, down from 23,307 homes
- The number of all-sector new build homes started decreased by 24% (5,260 homes), with 16,274 starts in the year to end September 2023. This was down from 21,534 starts in the previous year to end September 2022, and the lowest annual figure to end September since 2014.
- In the latest year to end September 2023, there were decreases in new build starts across all sectors. Private-led new build starts decreased by 19% (3,017 homes), housing association new build starts decreased by 34% (1,099 homes) and local authority new build starts decreased by 50% (1,144 homes)
- Affordable housing supply approvals down by 14% – chart 13
- Lowest number of social rent homes approved since 2015 – – chart 14
- Affordable housing supply starts down by 24% since 2022 – lowest since 2015