Moray housebuilder Springfield Properties said yesterday it was on target to deliver 1,500 affordable homes across Scotland by 2020.
It follows a Scottish Government commitment to invest £3.2billion to deliver 50,000 affordable homes by 2020-21.
According to housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland, there are about 150,000 households on local authority housing waiting lists across Scotland. Tens of thousands more are on transfer lists.
It is estimated more than one in three social houses are below the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.
Elgin-based Springfield said it was supporting the government’s new housing drive through its Partnerships division, which has doubled the number of affordable homes it isbuilding.
The business handed over 174 affordable homes during the group’s last financial year and plans to complete more than 300 before May 2018, with a further 1,000 in the pipeline by 2020.
Springfield Partnerships managing director Tom Leggeat said: “Since we established the Partnership company in 2004, we have built more than 1,500 high quality affordable homes.
“Our commitment to doubling that number by 2020 demonstrates the phenomenal growth we’ve seen in the business.
“Government backing has opened up new opportunities for housebuilders to positively contribute to affordable housing stock, providing high quality homes for families all over Scotland.”
He added: “Councils and housing associations recognise the requirement for more housing and are actively seeking to increase and improve their stock as funding becomes more readily available.
“The Scottish Government’s pledge to build more affordable homes is good news for families on social housing waiting lists.
“It will also benefit businesses like Springfield with an increased order book which will, in turn, secure and create jobs and growth.”
Meanwhile, industry body Homes for Scotland (HfS) said yesterday the number of households who have purchased a new home through Holyrood’s Help to Buy shared equity scheme had topped 10,000.
The initiative to help people buy a home with only a 5% deposit generated 2,370 sales during 2016/17, HfS said, adding the overall total to date had supported thousands of jobs and contributed £1billion to Scotland’s economy.
