Is the promise to build 125,000 homes a realistic target?published at 11:26 BST
11:26 BST
By Phil Sim, BBC Scotland political correspondent
Scottish
Labour has set a goal of seeing 125,000 houses built in Scotland over the next
Holyrood term.
This
covers all categories across the public and private sector and works out as
25,000 houses in each year of the parliament.
Is
this a realistic target?
House
building has fallen, with 17,336 new homes completed in 2025 – down 13% on the
previous year – and 14,999 homes started – down 6%.
Industry
body Homes for Scotland says, external this is part of a “sustained downward trend”, which is
being exacerbated by “a chronic shortage of effective housing land”.
The
group said completions could fall to 5,000 per year by 2031 unless urgent
action is taken to reform the planning system and address what it calls the
“land supply crisis”.
These
kind of reforms might require changes to the law, which would take time to pass
and then to implement.
So
any party making big promises about house building may have their work cut out
when it comes to delivering.
.