The Scottish Government is setting up a national housing agency to speed up delivery of new homes.  

The executive agency will be called More Homes Scotland and will perform a role similar to Homes England which aims to accelerate housebuilding.

James White, professor of planning and urban design at the University of Glasgow, yesterday told a House of Commons committee that Scotland had suffered from the absence of a housing agency.

First Minister John Swinney today announced that More Homes Scotland will begin operating from 2027-28 and be fully functional in 2028-29, subject to the outcome of the Scottish Parliament election. 

It will focus on a number of key areas – large-scale affordable housing projects; rural and island housing; acquiring, preparing and releasing land; and enabling infrastructure work to unlock stalled sites.

It will work alongside the Scottish National Investment Bank to make best use of private finance.  

A process to co-design the functions and operating model of the new agency will be led by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing in partnership with the bank and local authorities, with an update expected to be provided to the Scottish Parliament in March.  

The First Minister made the announcement on a visit to a housing development in Wallyford, East Lothian alongside Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan. The 90-home site, developed by Wheatley Homes, includes mid-market and social rented homes.  

Mr Swinney said: “Since 2007, the Scottish Government has supported the delivery of 141,000 affordable homes in Scotland, including 101,000 for social rent – proportionately far more than other parts of the UK. We have helped thousands of families to have a warm, safe and affordable place to call home.

“However, Scotland is facing a housing emergency. We recognise the difficulty that many Scots – in particular young Scots - have finding a home they can afford to rent or buy.   

“We have firm foundations and have recently stepped up our efforts. The 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget includes the single largest funding allocation to affordable housing since records began in 1989.

“We have committed to invest up to £4.9 billion over the next four years, backed by a record £4.1 billion of public investment, helping to deliver 36,000 affordable homes and providing a place to live for around 24,000 children. This is providing record funding and more multi-year certainty than ever before.

“This, along with other policy measures, has given confidence to the investment community. However, we must have a public sector delivery model that can rise to our enhanced ambitions.

“A new national agency will mean less duplication, greater expertise, increased efficiencies, and making our substantial investment go further. It will also provide enhanced support to our local authority partners and we will work in partnership with the Scottish National Investment Bank to attract more commercial investment.

“It is a new body that will offer simplicity, scale and speed – boosting delivery, and maximising savings, as part of our commitment to a decade of public sector modernisation and reform.  

“More Homes Scotland will meet the needs of this time. It will deliver – for a new generation of Scots – new homes more quickly, more affordably, in more liveable, climate friendly communities.”  

David Ritchie, chief executive of the Scottish National Investment Bank, said: “The Bank has invested more than £130 million in housing to date, with a robust pipeline of more potential housing investments. We welcome More Homes Scotland being established to bring momentum in finding housing solutions.

“Working with private investors and homebuilders we have developed innovative approaches to unlock finance, getting much-needed homes built across Scotland.” 

Jane Wood, chief executive of sector the industry representative body Homes for Scotland, said: “With it now approaching two years since a national housing emergency was declared, this is an important and much-needed intervention from the Scottish Government which we have long called for.

“We applaud the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Housing on this bold move which seeks to introduce simplicity, scale and speed.”

Chair of the Scottish Property Federation Jonathan Guthrie, described the new agency as a “positive and timely step towards addressing Scotland’s housing emergency”.

He added: “A single national agency with a clear focus on delivery has real potential to accelerate decision-making and make better use of public and private investment to get more homes built, more quickly.

“We particularly welcome the emphasis on unlocking stalled sites through strategic land assembly and infrastructure investment.

“Harnessing the expertise of the Scottish National Investment Bank, private investors and local authorities will be essential if this new body is to deliver at the scale Scotland needs across all tenures.”