Third consecutive annual fall in completions leaves Scottish Government already behind its own 10 per cent growth ambition

The urgent need for effective intervention to reverse Scotland’s declining housing supply has been underlined by the latest Scottish Government statistics published today, according to representative body Homes for Scotland (HFS).

The figures show that 17,057 new homes were completed across all sectors in the year to the end of June 2026, down 11 per cent on the previous year. This marks a third successive annual fall in completions and the lowest level since 2015. At the same time, housing starts are at their lowest since 2013.

HFS says the figures demonstrate the scale of the challenge facing the new Scottish Government and underline the urgency with which commitments made in its recent Programme for Government must now be translated into action.

The latest completion figures also mean the Scottish Government has already fallen short of the first year of its stated ambition to increase all tenure housing delivery by 10 per cent year on year.

Using the Government’s own baseline of 19,180 completions in the 12 months to June 2025, a 10 per cent increase would have required approximately 21,100 homes to be completed in the year to June 2026. Instead, the total fell to 17,057 – a shortfall of over 4,000 all-tenure homes.

Responding to the figures, HFS Chief Executive Jane Wood said:

“These latest statistics provide a stark measure of the challenge facing Scotland. Completions have now fallen for a third consecutive year and, rather than achieving the 10 per cent increase in housing delivery that government itself identified as necessary, we have seen a further fall of 11 per cent. Since Scotland’s national housing emergency was declared in May 2024, all-sector housing completions have now declined for three consecutive reporting years, with delivery falling by an average of around 10 per cent year-on-year.

“The gap between ambition and delivery cannot be ignored. What matters now is the speed and urgency with which the Scottish Government acts to change that trajectory.

“We were encouraged by the First Minister’s commitment to a culture of ‘yes, if’ rather than ‘no, because’, alongside the principles of ‘regulate last, regulate simply and regulate flexibly’. The test now is whether those commitments translate into a more enabling approach across national and local government, particularly in planning, infrastructure and regulation, so that more homes can actually be delivered.”

“The latest figures also reinforce why viability and effective land supply must be at the heart of the response to the housing emergency. Scotland does not simply need more sites identified on paper. It needs sites that can actually come forward and homes that are viable to build. Meaningful intervention prior to new local development plans being adopted is required now to give the market confidence to invest.

“The More Homes Scotland agency has significant potential to bring greater simplicity, scale and speed to housing delivery, but there can be no loss of momentum in its development. Commercial insight, all-tenure expertise and a clear focus on overcoming barriers to delivery must be built in from the outset.

“Success in tackling the housing emergency will ultimately be judged by whether Scotland starts and completes more homes. HFS and its members stand ready to work constructively with government and partners to turn ambition into tangible delivery for households and communities across Scotland.”

ENDS

29 Sept 2026