en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has released the latest housing statistics, showing that while housing starts and approvals have begun to recover, overall delivery remains far below demand, with thousands of households still lacking affordable housing.

SFHA Chief Executive Richard Meade stated that Scotland entered the third year of a housing emergency last month, and today's statistics show that housing completions continue to decline, with more families urgently waiting for a safe, warm, and affordable home. He noted that the downward trend in housing starts and approvals has been curbed, showing initial signs of recovery, which is welcome, but the overall picture indicates that the number of approved homes is still nearly half of pre-pandemic levels. Meade added that the systemic issues hindering social housing delivery cannot be resolved overnight, but the Scottish government urgently needs to clarify how it will build on this initial progress and accelerate at the pace required by the emergency. He emphasized that if there is any hope for the nearly 10,500 children growing up in temporary accommodation, this autumn's Programme for Government must be a Programme for Housing. Meade stated that the scale of this emergency demands urgency, political will, and a fully funded plan to deliver the 15,693 social and affordable homes Scotland needs each year within this parliamentary term. He concluded with a warning that this parliament cannot afford to fail on housing, as the consequences for the economy, health, education, and well-being would be devastating.