Trade body Homes for Scotland (HFS) has expressed its concern at latest Scottish Government housing statistics which show marked drops in housing association completions and approvals.

HFS Director of Policy Fionna Kell said:

“Whilst overall levels of housing delivery are up on last year’s figures, it is extremely concerning to see that housing association completions have dropped by 17 per cent (620 homes) and quite staggering that approvals have fallen by 54 per cent (3090 homes).

“Unfortunately, this chimes with what our members have been telling us.  Highlighting the interconnectedness of the whole housing system, rising costs have hit those delivering homes to both the public and private sectors extremely hard. Grant funding levels must be reviewed, as a matter of urgency, to reflect these exceptional circumstances and arrest this decline otherwise we will see ever decreasing numbers of affordable homes coming through the pipeline.”

Kell’s comments follow a recent HFS report highlighting that Scotland’s cumulative housing shortfall since the global financial crisis is now approaching 100,000 homes.