Latest update on Glasgow's Affordable Housing Supply Programme
An update on the delivery of Glasgow's Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) was given to a council committee today (3 October), a programme which is notably important given the city's current housing emergency.
After committee approval today, the council will in 2024/25 allocate £78.687million - plus £11.544million from the national acquisitions fund to acquire an estimated 83 homes - to housing associations and private developers to build new affordable homes in the city. £103.638million was allocated in 2023/24.
Budgetary pressures on public finances meant that the national budget for affordable housing was reduced, and another challenge was an 8% rise in construction inflation. Despite this, in 2023/24, AHSP funding delivered the completion of 1,353 new affordable homes, work on 661 was begun, and approval given for a further 821. £5.236million was allocated for medical adaptations in housing association homes.
The 2024/25 AHSP budget has a delivery target of 878 completed new affordable homes, with work beginning on 761 and 489 approvals expected. The target expenditure for medical adaptations is £3.687million.
The AHSP increases the affordable housing stock in the city, with the majority of this is through newbuild projects, but in addition non-residential buildings are repurposed and private sector properties are strategically acquired for housing associations.
Despite the reduction in available funding for Glasgow's AHSP, the programme will continue to increase the supply of affordable homes in the city, help the work of housing-led regeneration projects and alleviate some of the pressures of the housing emergency declared by the council.
Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets at Glasgow City Council,said: "Through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we are building as many houses as budgets allow and we stand ready to build more should additional funding be available."