Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has welcomed the number of 'affordable' homes being approved in Scotland.

Recent statistics show there has been a 29% increase in approvals this year compared with 2016, the highest level seen since the 1980s. Overall, 10,276 'affordable' homes were approved in 2016/17.

With the Scottish Government committing over £1.75 billion over the next three years for councils to plan and deliver housing they need in their communities, the Government is targeting at least 50,000 'affordable' homes built by 2021.

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "Earlier this year, I secured a budget that saw investment in public services on a massive scale, support for our economy and help for those on low incomes.  By providing the planned resources for the next three years our local authorities can plan high–quality, energy efficient and affordable homes.

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"This important investment provides a further boost to the construction industry - supporting the economy and an estimated 14,000 jobs each year.

"We are currently seeing the highest levels of activity in the affordable house-building sector since the early 1980s.   With affordable site starts and completions increasing, this represents an excellent pipeline of projects across Scotland. 

"We have committed to year-on-year increases in funding for affordable homes, to be shared by local authorities – from £532 million in 2018-19, to £591 million in 2019-20, rising again to £630 million in 2020-21.  This is the first time councils have been given full allocations for affordable housing beyond the current financial year, providing certainty over several years to enable them to ramp up their delivery plans."

(LM/MH)