Scottish affordable housing completions drop to lowest level since 2015/16
Approvals and starts were up compared to 2024-25, with approvals rising by 42% and starts by 37%.
Data from the Scottish Government showed 6,787 approvals, 7,421 starts and 6,832 completions of affordable homes funded by the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2025-26.
Approvals and starts were up compared to 2024-25, with approvals rising by 42% and starts by 37%.
Completions fell by 8%.
Approvals and starts in 2025-26 were 47% and 38% below the 2019-20 peak.
Completions were at their lowest since 2015-16, apart from 2020-21 when Covid-19 affected housebuilding.
Most of the affordable homes delivered in 2025-26 were for social rent, making up 85% of approvals, 84% of starts and 79% of completions.
Comparing 2025-26 to 2024-25, completions for social rent dropped by 9%, completions for other affordable rent dropped 18%, while completions for affordable home ownership increased by 55%.
Quarterly figures showed approvals and starts were higher in the last three quarters of 2025-26 compared to the same quarters in the previous year.
Completions were higher in the final quarter.
In Q1 2026, approvals rose by 45%, starts by 84% and completions by 14% compared to Q1 2025.
The Scottish Government’s target is to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent and 10% in rural and island communities.
So far, 35,368 affordable homes have been completed towards this target, including 27,297 for social rent, 5,089 for affordable rent and 2,982 for affordable home ownership.
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