The number of social homes delivered in Scotland over the past 18 years has surpassed the 100,000 mark.

Latest statistics on affordable housing reveal that, since 2007, the Scottish Government has helped deliver a total of 140,346 affordable homes, with 100,064 of those specifically for social rent.

Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan commented that the milestone is a "demonstration of our strong commitment to supporting affordable housing across Scotland" and is a key cornerstone in efforts to tackle the housing emergency and eradicate child poverty.

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However, the Housing Secretary acknowledged that demand is currently outstripping supply. She highlighted the challenges posed by inflation, the cost of living, and Brexit, noting that construction inflation alone has reached an "incredible 24% in recent years."

Future Investment

Despite the challenges, Màiri McAllan is committed to turning the figures around. She recently published an ambitious Housing Emergency Action Plan, which is backed by up to £4.9 billion of investment.

This major affordable housing programme aims to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes over the next four years, providing homes for up to 24,000 children. This is in addition to the £808 million the government will spend this financial year to deliver around 8,000 affordable homes.

The Housing Secretary concluded by calling on "everyone in the public and private sector to urgently pull together" to ensure everyone in Scotland has a home.