Housing barely registers at autumn party conferences

We are now fully into the autumn political conference season and housing remains, if not under the radar, then barely registering as a key issue at any of the parties’ events. While the Conservatives have said they would give a tax rebate for people in their first jobs to help them with buying a home and Labour has proposed a shake-up of the homebuying system in England the sector remains remarkably undiscussed given its pivotal importance.

Labour did promise to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the parliament, but few believe that this target is even remotely achievable and – 14 months in – it is far behind schedule. So, while any workable proposals are welcome it is clear that housing remains the Cinderella of political policy despite the severe difficulties faced for buyers and tenants.

In Scotland, where we have had a national housing emergency for 17 months, the situation is getting worse. The latest data for all sector newbuild starts show the numbers falling 8.9 per cent over the latest 12-month period from 16,582 to 15,104. This is the lowest 12-month figure since 2012/13, and these numbers are 4,327 and 5,838 respectively below those of the first two years of the pandemic.

The drop in private sector newbuilds was 1,123 (-8.6 per cent) down falling from 13,076 to 11,953. This is the lowest annual figure since 2013/14 when 11,913 homes were started. The data for the social housing sector fell by 10.1 per cent, dropping 355 from 3,506 in 2023.24 to 3,151 in 2024/25. This is the lowest annual figure since 2012-13.

These latest figures highlight the key issues facing the Scottish housing sector. Low newbuild volumes have contributed to the substantial house price rises we have seen in Scotland, and this is only likely to continue in the future. If supply remains subdued at the current level, then there can only be one outcome, which is greater demand leading to much greater price rises as the market struggles to produce enough homes for Scotland’s current and future population.

The private rented sector has never experienced the current level of demand with unprecedented numbers of people applying for too few properties. With social housing already unable to meet the existing demand for homes, with hundreds of thousands on waiting lists, and tens of thousands homeless and in temporary accommodation, there is the very real possibility that these figures highlight just how much worse an already difficult market is going to get.

Without a major investment in social housing, greater support for the private rental sector, and encouragement and incentives for the housebuilding sector it is clear that tens of thousands of people living in Scotland are going to be unable to find a home to live in over the next few years.

At a time when more homes than ever are needed to meet growing demand in Scotland it is essential that everyone involved in the sector unites to develop a quick, effective, and functioning solution to this rapidly growing problem. The answer is pretty simple. As UK Housing Secretary Steve Reed recently said: ‘build, baby, build’. Only more homes will resolve this issue now and in the future.