SNP fuelling housing crisis amid 11% slump

Scottish Liberal Democrats have accused the SNP of fuelling the housing crisis after official figures published today show dramatic falls in new build house starts and completions.

Official figures published today show that:  

• Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, there was an 11% decrease in the number of new build house starts.
• In the same period, there was a 4% decrease in new build house completions.
• In 2024-25, the number of all sector new build starts was the lowest since 2012-13, while completions were at their lowest level since 2020-21.
• Affordable housing supply approvals in 2024-25 were 63% lower than the most recent peak in approvals in 2019-20.
• Affordable housing supply starts were 55% lower than the recent peak in starts of 2019-20, while completions were 29% lower than their recent peak in 2022-23.

Earlier this month, John Swinney appointed Mairi McAllan as Housing Secretary for the Scottish Government.

Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:

“From deterring business to dampening investment, the SNP have fuelled Scotland’s housing crisis.

“Passing the housing brief to a new minister doesn’t change a thing; it just gives those failures a new face.

“My party secured a significant uplift for affordable housing in this year’s budget, so ministers need to get on with spending that money and delivering the new homes that Scotland badly needs.

“I also want to see the government listening to our calls to bring thousands of empty homes back into use and re-establish social rent as a viable, long-term option.”