A FALL in the number of new homes built to completion raises fears about a key target, a housing body claims.
The Scottish Government aims to deliver 50,000 affordable new homes by 2021 to tackle housing pressures.
Announced in 2015, the pledge aims to increase the supply of less-expensive residences by almost 70 per cent.
But the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland (CIH Scotland) says the slowdown in completion rates during the second and third quarters of 2017 raises concerns about the sector’s ability to achieve the “ambitious” goal.
Published today, its annual UK Housing Review notes the number of new social homes completed last year was down 12 per cent on 2016.
However, the report says performance has been “modest” and concludes that “any failure to achieve the 50,000 target will not be for lack of funding”.
Commenting, CIH Scotland deputy director Callum Chomczuk said: “Drawing a direct comparison with other parts of the UK, Scotland can demonstrate encouraging performance in key areas such as house price affordability and tackling homelessness.
“The Scottish Government has also given a welcome financial commitment with regards to funding 50,000 new affordable homes over the lifetime of the current Scottish Parliament.
“At the same time, the latest quarterly housing statistics for Scotland reinforce concerns about the sector’s capacity to meet that ambitious target.
“Indeed, the number of new social sector homes completed in 2017 actually fell by 12 per cent compared to the previous year.
“As such, there should be no room for complacency.”
He went on: “Working in partnership with the Scottish Government, I know that our members across Scotland will continue their efforts to achieve a continuously improving picture for Scottish housing in the year ahead and beyond.”
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