SMALLER house-building firms have been impacted much harder by the financial crisis and face slower recovery, according to a new report.
With housing completions in 2018 exceeding 20,000 for the first time in a decade, Homes for Scotland (HFS) is stressing the need for more SME home builders if growth is to be continued.
In a new report titled Small Scale Home Builders: Increasing Supply, published following a year-long special project, the trade body highlights how smaller firms were impacted by the financial crisis and their struggle to recover was much harder compared to the larger industry players.
HFS chief executive Nicola Barclay (left) said: “Despite the strong demand for housing that exists, smaller builders are delivering some 2000 fewer homes per annum than before 2008. Encouraging more into the market is crucial, not just in terms of volume but particularly in relation to increasing diversity of product, creating local employment opportunities and sustaining more rural communities.
“Smaller companies generally have fewer resources and limited routes to finance which make the challenges of home building all the more difficult to overcome.
“Thanks to their insight, and working alongside other key stakeholders such as the Scottish Government and Heads of Planning Scotland, this report identifies solutions and prioritises the action required to support and grow the small scale home builder sector.”
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