Trade body Homes for Scotland (HFS) today marks its 25th anniversary with the single largest gathering of senior leaders and representatives from across the home building sector as 950 meet in Edinburgh to attend the organisation’s Annual Lunch & Awards.

With the event marking the 25th anniversary of HFS and taking place a year after the Scottish Parliament declared a national housing emergency, guests will hear Chief Executive Jane Wood highlight the legacy that the home building sector has been creating over the last quarter of a century, now and in the years to come.  She will remark on the lives that have been enhanced as a result of the more than half a million homes that have been delivered since 2000 and also note her appreciation for the resilience, flex and adaptability that the home building sector has shown in the face of the most severe of challenges including the global financial crisis and Covid.

Wood will also announce details of a groundbreaking public campaign set to launch in September as well as publication of a new report developed in partnership with NHBC which brings together 25 key facts relating to housing delivery in Scotland.

Speaking in advance of the event, Wood said:

“Twelve months on from a national housing emergency being declared, it is crystal clear that business as usual is not acceptable.  Things can and must change if we are to ensure Scotland’s social wellbeing and economic success.  Delivering the homes that meet the needs of everyone that lives here and that they can afford is absolutely fundamental to this and in pursuing the First Minister’s ambition of eradicating child poverty.

“To achieve this, I strongly believe it is incumbent on HFS and the wider sector to inform, educate and, if you like, storytell from within and across civic society. That is why I am so excited about the public campaign called “Homes Build Futures” that we will be launching in September.  By utilising new voices and extending our reach more broadly than ever before, we can challenge public thinking and mobilise consumers to be advocates for more homes, demanding this of their politicians in the run up to next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

“Like all our work, this will be underpinned by data and evidence so I am also delighted to be publishing today’s new report on “Scotland’s homes, housing and house building today”.  Developed in partnership with the NHBC Foundation, this includes facts on who we build for, the homes we need and the land we use, and the homes we live in.”

Did you know?

  • The average population density of Scotland in 2023 was 70 people/km2 compared to 438 for England, 151 for Wales and 141 for Northern Ireland.
  • According to EU data for 2018, homes and gardens accounted for 1.4% of Scotland’s total land area.  This compares to 7.7% for England, 3.28% for Wales and 5.2% for Northern Ireland.
  • Demonstrating Scotland’s leading role in sustainable construction, 95% of new homes in 2024 were built using timber frame.

NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood said:

“At NHBC we are passionate about the power of robust, relevant data to help shape a better housing future.  To do this effectively, we must ensure the information we rely on is clear and current and that it reflects the real-world challenges facing house builders.  In partnership with Homes for Scotland, our new report brings together a wide range of metrics and trends across demographic factors, public attitudes and housing characteristics. It is designed to serve as a useful reference point for policymakers, partners and anyone with an interest in tackling Scotland’s undersupply of housing.

“By presenting these insights in one accessible report, we hope to support better decision-making, spark new thinking and help drive forward the policies and actions needed to deliver more homes in Scotland.”

Download “25 Facts: Scotland’s homes, housing and house building today” here

ENDS

30 May 2025