Shelter Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to make building social homes a national mission of the highest importance, after new figures showed the government has broken its promise to build 8,000 affordable homes in 2025/26.

New Scottish Government figures show 6,832 affordable homes were built in the last year - 15% below target. While there are early signs of recovery, with starts reaching their highest level since 2021/22, completions have fallen to their lowest level in the same timeframe.

Analysis from Shelter Scotland warns that on the current trajectory, the Scottish Government is also off track to meet its commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

The launch of the More Homes Scotland agency presents a critical opportunity to tackle Scotland’s housing emergency. However, Shelter Scotland cautions that without a clear and explicit focus on reducing affordable housing need, progress will stall, homelessness will continue to rise, and more public money will be diverted into temporary rather than long-term solutions.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, interim director at Shelter Scotland said: “Homelessness is caused by the political choice not to build enough social homes. Choosing not to build enough homes is choosing to leave children in temporary accommodation, choosing to let rough sleeping rise, choosing to let homelessness services fail just at the time when far right voices are trying to weaponise the issue.

“The Scottish Government has broken its promise. Building social homes must become a national mission of the very highest importance.

“There are some welcome signs of progress. Social housing starts are at their highest level since 2021/22, suggesting that the Housing Emergency Action Plan is beginning to turn the dial after last year’s record low. But completions have fallen, and the pace of delivery still falls far short of what’s needed.

“Ending the housing emergency is absolutely possible. If More Homes Scotland has the focus, investment and powers to deliver the social homes Scotland needs, we have a real opportunity to reverse the current trends. But the agency’s success must be measured by one thing above all else: reducing affordable housing need and thereby tackling homelessness.”