The housing crisis within the UK has become a much discussed topic within the walls of government offices. With more than 33,450 affordable homes completed, Scotland is doing what many other countries within the UK are longing for – providing more affordable houses for purchase. The housing total is more than 10% above its targeted goal during the last parliamentary term.

Housing shortage is not a new issue of concern for the UK. Affordability due to high prices along with slowly increasing wages has created a market which has become hard to become a part of, especially for young people looking to reach the first rung of the property ladder.

By surpassing the goal of completed homes during the last term by more than 10%, Scotland is setting a new standard for other members of the UK to emulate.

Kevin Stewart, housing minister, commented on the latest data regarding housing, saying: "Exceeding the ambitious 30,000 target is no mean feat in a challenging financial environment. Our investment of more than £1.7bn, as well as the re-introduction of council house building, has meant high quality, energy efficient, affordable homes have been built the length and breadth of the country.

“We are building at a rate faster than anywhere else in the UK, and in fact since 2007 we have built over 41,000 more homes than would have been built at England’s lower per-capita rate. That’s the equivalent of a new town the size of Paisley.”

Stewart added: “We have worked hard with the housing sector to deliver these homes as well as develop innovative funding initiatives that have helped both buyers and developers. We can now look forward to continuing with these innovations over the next five years, increasing private and affordable housing supply to rent and buy and further safeguarding social housing for the future.”