Scotland's housing crisis deepens
Statistics published in the Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update have highlighted an increasingly dire situation for Scotland’s housing sector.
The figures show that the number of new homes completed annually has fallen by a third since 2007.
In addition, in the year to the end of June 2007 the number of private sector homes started were 20,000 while completions were around 22,000. This latest publication shows that in the year to the end of June 2017 completions are just under 13,500.
On social housing, completions have fallen to 819 between April and June 2017, an 18% fall on the same quarter in 2016.
This brings the total social housing completions for the year to the end of June 2017 to 3,708, a 6% decrease from the previous year.
Commenting on these figures, Graham Simpson, Scottish Conservative Housing Spokesman said:
“The SNP Government has presided over a crisis in housing and it is only getting worse.
“With fewer houses being built, fewer people have any reasonable access to owning their own home and gaining all the benefits this brings to their families and finances.
“The Scottish Conservatives have already suggested innovative policies that would tackle this decline and help everyone own their own home.
“We are committed to delivering 100,000 new homes over the course of this parliament – with half of them affordable housing.
“We are dedicated to working with all stakeholders to make this commitment a reality.
“As the Finance Minister finishes his budget preparations he must consider more radical action. This is a housing crisis that the SNP has created and must solve.”