Martin welcomes affordable homes in Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has welcomed recent figures that show 3,872 affordable and social homes have been completed in Aberdeenshire since 2007 – with 341 completed in 2022/23 alone.

Statistics show that almost 10,500 low-cost ownership, mid-market rent, and social rent homes were completed across Scotland in the financial year 2022/23; bringing the total since Scottish Government affordable housing programmes began in 2007 to over 122,200.

Scotland continues to lead the UK in affordable home provision. Between 2007/08 and 2021/22, the annual average supply of affordable housing per head of population in Scotland has been 13.9 homes per 10,000 population, higher than England (9.7 homes per 10,000 population), Wales (8.0), and Northern Ireland (12.7).

The 10,458 affordable homes completed in Scotland in 2022/23 equates to a rate of 19.1 homes delivered per 10,000 population.

​Gillian Martin strongly supports the government programme.

The Scottish Government has also announced a further boost of £60 million to reduce the number of households living in temporary accommodation, supporting a national acquisition plan to increase the supply of social and affordable housing.

Welcoming the new figures, Ms Martin said: “The major increase in affordable and social housing in Aberdeenshire is a result of the Scottish Government’s bold and decisive actions to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. All people deserve access to affordable accommodations, and that’s why I strongly support the government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme.”

“Last year alone we saw 341 high-quality affordable and social homes created across Aberdeenshire, raising the total figure to an impressive 3,872 homes in the area since 2007.

"This is made possible by the Scottish Government’s five-year, £3.2 billion fund to accelerate affordable home provision, with the end goal of delivering a further 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032.

“As the UK Government’s cost of living crisis puts pressure on Scottish households, the Scottish Government is continuing to build a fairer and more equal Scotland, and the success of Affordable Housing Supply Programme is a testament to that endeavour.”