Housing secretary highlights record affordable home investment

As announced as part of the 2026-27 Draft Scottish Budget, the Affordable Housing Supply Programme has been allocated £926 million, 20% higher than the previous year, as part of a wider ambition to invest £4.9 billion over the next four years in affordable homes, including a record £4.1bn in public sector funding.

The funding is part of a package of support for housing which also includes:

• £106m for Discretionary Housing Payments, helping struggling households to remain in their homes
• £8m for rapid rehousing transition plans, reducing the time spent in temporary accommodation
• Providing support for women and children affected by domestic abuse with a £2m fund to leave
• An extra £4m for a range of initiatives to support the implementation of new homelessness prevention duties in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025
• At least a further £1.3m invested through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to bring empty homes back into use.

Housing secretary Màiri McAllan said: “This is the biggest total funding allocation to affordable housing in Scotland since records began in 1989.

“Our investment is rooted firmly in our top priority of eradicating child poverty and is a critical investment in growing our economy.

“The budget settlement builds on commitments made in our Housing Emergency Action Plan, which includes record public sector funding of £4.1 billion over the next four years and is estimated to see 36,000 affordable homes delivered and up to 24,000 children provided with a home.

“We’ve also confirmed a package of measures to limit the time families spend in temporary accommodation, support women and children experiencing domestic abuse and fund a range of homelessness prevention and response initiatives.

“The Scottish Government is serious in our ambition to tackle the housing emergency and the funding proposed in the Budget marks a step–change, ensuring more families will have the opportunity to live in a warm, safe and affordable home with the many benefits that brings.”