MacCallum to SNP: Build more homes to reduce housing costs

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Morven-May MacCallum MSP has today encouraged the Scottish Government to increase the number of homes being built as new annual housing figures revealed a sluggish industry with both completions and starts falling from last year.

The Housing Statistics for Scotland 2025-26 reveal:

• 18,028 new homes were added to Scotland's housing stock, 8% fewer than the previous year and the lowest since 2014-15.
• Around 12% of private rented households say they may have to move because of housing costs, compared to 3% in the owner-occupied sector and 5% of social rented households.
• The number of vacant local authority homes increased by 4% to 10,253 as of the end of March 2026.

Morven-May MacCallum MSP said:

“Far too many Scots have nowhere to live or are paying through the nose in rent.

“That will never change so long as housebuilding figures are going in the wrong direction. We need to be building more homes to bring down housing costs, as well as helping local authorities to bring thousands of vacant properties back into use.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would tackle the chronic housing shortage by returning housebuilding to a level that gets 25,000 new homes built annually and creates new key worker housing so that finding a home isn’t a barrier to taking up a job when somewhere is crying out for your skills.”