Newly published statistics to the end of June 2026 revealed there were just over 17,000 new homes built and 15,500 homes started in the twelve months ending June 2026. Compared with the previous twelve-month period, newbuild completions fell 11% and starts fell 2%. Completions were at their lowest level since 2015 and starts since 2013.

The private sector completed nearly 13,600 homes and started around 11,800. Annual completions fell 7%, and starts fell 8%, with starts at their lowest level since 2013.

The social sector completed nearly 3,500 homes and started around 3,700. Annual completions fell 25%, while starts rose 26% from a record low base the previous year. Completions were the lowest since 2007.

In the year to June 2026, the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) delivered around 6,600 approvals, 7,100 starts and 6,800 completions. 

Annual increases were reported for approvals (42% increase) and starts (34% increase); however, these increases were from a low base reported the previous year.

As of June 2026, just over 36,500 homes had been delivered towards the 110,000 affordable housing target by 2032 — 77% social rent, 14% affordable rent, and 8% affordable home ownership.

Responding to statistics, social justice and housing secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government continues to deliver on affordable housing – with approvals up 42% and starts increasing by 34% compared to last year. Overall since 2007 we have helped deliver 147,000 affordable homes – with 72% for social rent.

“Scotland continues to lead the rest of the UK in relative housebuilding with 35 homes per 10,000 population delivered in 2024–25, the highest rate in the UK. We have also delivered 45% more affordable homes than England and 69% more than Wales, per head of population.

“However, we know there is more to do – that is why we are providing record investment of up to £4.9 billion over the next four years to support delivery of around 36,000 affordable homes - providing a warm, safe home for up to 24,000 children. We are determined to help drive improvements in the private sector, including through our work with the Scottish National Investment Bank.

“Our new agency More Homes Scotland will also bring simplicity, scale and an all-tenure approach to supporting housebuilding - enhancing delivery and maximising savings.”

Shelter Scotland urged the Scottish Government to dramatically step up social home building if it wants to end the outrage of children trapped in harmful temporary accommodation and start to bring record homelessness figures down.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, interim director at Shelter Scotland, said: “We are simply not building enough social homes or investing enough, while record numbers of children wake up without a home. It is an outrage. Decades of underinvestment and poor political choices have led us here. We can’t promise or blame our way out of the housing emergency – we have to build our way out.

“Homelessness is not inevitable – ending it means building more social homes, more quickly. Without that, families will remain trapped in limbo. That means families of five, living in one hotel room for two months, with nowhere to cook or for children to play. While the longer-term stats show some signs of recovery, very slow progress over the last three months can’t be ignored.

“Social house building is simply too slow to tackle the housing emergency. To turn the tide, the Scottish Government must do three things: Unlock exceptional funding and ambition in December’s Budget to match the scale of the housing emergency; ensure delivering social homes to tackle homelessness is at the heart of the new More Homes Scotland agency; and introduce immediate measures to support the areas hit hardest. Without this, they are accepting homelessness will rise and more children will be stuck in temporary accommodation.”

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has warned the Scottish Government is not on course to reach its affordable housing target.

Chief executive Richard Meade said: “Today’s figures show the lowest number of social homes built in nearly two decades, while a record 10,715 children in Scotland are living in temporary accommodation, double the number a decade ago. Scotland is a long way away from delivering the safe, warm and affordable homes the country needs. 

“Whilst we have seen an annual increase in the number of social and affordable homes being started and approved, which shows longer-term investment does make a difference, social housebuilding starts remain 48% below their 2020 peak. The Scottish Government is not on course to reach its target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, and at current rates will not reach it until 2036.  

“Not every lever sits with Ministers, but the key ones do: long-term funding and investment in Scotland’s capacity to build, especially in rural and island communities. 

“Ahead of the Scottish Budget this December, social and affordable housing must be recognised as critical economic infrastructure and one of the strongest prevention investments Scotland can make. Scotland needs 15,693 social and affordable homes a year to meet housing need, and we will measure progress against that number until Scotland’s housing emergency is over.”

Gillian McLees, national director of CIH Scotland, added: “These latest statistics continue to show a significant and worrying decline in housebuilding in Scotland. In the year to June 2026, completions across all tenures fell by 11% and starts by 2%. While social sector starts rose by 26% this is still not enough to address the years of undersupply resulting in record numbers of people trapped in the homeless system.

“The 6,600 approvals and 7,100 starts last year remains well below the average of 11,000 homes needed annually to meet the government’s target of 110,000 social and affordable homes.

“With Scotland still in the grip of a housing emergency, progress is not happening quickly enough. We are again calling on the Scottish government to prioritise the delivery of social housing and commit to building 15,693 social and affordable homes over the next five years, as evidenced in our joint research with SFHA and Shelter Scotland.

“Only by investing in and building more social homes can we address the housing emergency and ensure that everyone has a safe, warm and affordable place to call home.”