A housing leader has raised concerns over the “devastating consequences” of the “collapse in housebuilding” in Scotland.

It comes as new figures reveal a significant drop in the number of new homes built and a record level of homelessness amid increasing pressure on the Scottish Government to respond.

The extent of Scotland’s housing emergency was laid bare, with around 32,000 people homeless in Scotland and 100 new applications a day.

Housebuilders have blamed new housing law proposals including around rent caps for a move away for many from pursuing build-to-rent developments, often in favour of student flats.  

Concerns were raised as the number of social homes built in the last year had slumped by a quarter, and this comes after Scotland’s affordable housing budget was cut by £196 million in last year’s Scottish Budget and has been pared backed by 37% in the last two years.

Paul McLennan, Scottish housing minister, at HolyroodPaul McLennan, Scottish housing minister, at Holyrood (Image: Getty Images) The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, a membership body of 132 associations and co-operatives, said there had been “repeated hammer-blow cuts” to the affordable housing budget.

Sally Thomas, SFHA chief executive, said that this week’s housing and homelessness figures “underline that the collapse in housebuilding has devastating consequences”.

She said: “Repeated Scottish Government cuts to the affordable housing budget have made it ever more difficult for housing associations to deliver the safe, warm, affordable homes that everyone deserves as a basic human right.

“We’ve seen some recognition from Scottish Government that this is an emergency, so ahead of the Scottish Budget we need to see radical action to match that and to invest in our social homes. This is a dire situation, but there is time to turn things around if we act with purpose.”

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Paul McLennan, Scottish housing minister, in an interview with political correspondent Rebecca McCurdy defended comments the Scottish Government had a "strong track record" in supporting the delivery of affordable homes, citing 133,000 completed since 2007.

Mr McLennan said: “We have got to highlight and understand the position that we're in.

"This year we've built 19,000 homes. We still, per head of population, built 40% more than England and 70% more than Wales.

"But we need to be doing more. Of course we need to be doing more."

This was followed by First Minister John Swinney being urged to sack the “out of touch” housing minister.

The national tenants' union in Scotland said the Scottish Government needs to go further to protect those living in private rented accommodation.

Aditi Jehangir, chair of Living Rent, said: "These figures highlight the failure of this government to tackle the housing emergency. Our social housing stock is not enough to provide for our needs and unaffordable rents in the private sector are forcing people out of their homes."

Also this week, Gabriel McKay reports that City of Edinburgh Council has backed a motion supporting rent controls, the first to do so since the introduction of the Scottish Government's new Housing (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill, currently going through parliament, would require local councils to carry out assessments on the condition of the private rental sector and make recommendations to ministers about imposing rent controls.

City of Edinburgh Council, which declared a housing emergency in November last year, passed a motion introduced by the Scottish Greens with 36 votes on Thursday in favour of such controls.