House construction starts and completions plummet

Responding to the news that both the number of housing completions (-4,150; -17%) and starts (-3,000; -15%) were lower in 2023-24 than the previous financial year, Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:

“Liberal Democrats know that a home is a necessity and the base on which people build their lives.

“There is a housing emergency in Scotland. Homelessness now sits at record levels and there are 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation. Despite this, affordable housebuilding has collapsed, and the cost of living crisis has meant that rents and mortgages are becoming difficult for many people to afford.

“Liberal Democrats are committed to tackling these housing failures head-on. We need a new National Housing Plan for Scotland that can stand up to the housing emergency, get more homes built and give people a home to call their own. We want to increase the number of new homes to 380,000 a year across the UK, including 150,000 social homes a year, working in partnership with the Scottish Government.”