Almost a quarter of councils in Scotland built no new homes in the last year amid a housing emergency.
The revelation comes as housing minister Paul McLennan faces growing pressure to resign after record homelessness statistics were published.
In the year up to June 2024, there were 1,573 local authority led completions, while construction began on 1,295 homes.
It is a 20% decline on the same period in 2023 with 398 fewer homes build in the most recent year, according to official figures published by the Scottish Government.
Some 152 fewer house builds were started by local authorities in the year up to June 2024, a decline of 11%.
Alongside housing associations, local authority led builds make up Scotland’s provision of social homes.
However, seven local authorities build zero homes in the latest year, according to figures published as part of the Scottish Government’s quarterly housebuilding statistics.
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The Scottish Government said the seven local authorities have increased affordable housing supply through other methods such as acquiring empty properties.
Scottish Tory housing spokesman Miles Briggs it was “astonishing” that Angus, Clackmannanshire, the Orkney Islands, South Lanarkshire, Shetland Islands and West Dunbartonshire build no new local authority homes in the year up to June 2024.
In total, there were 1,574 local authority homes completed, and 1,295 started, with East Lothian and Midlothian recording the highest rates of 18 homes per 10,000 of the population.
Mr Briggs told The Herald: “Miles Briggs said: “With Scotland facing a national housing emergency, it is astonishing that no social houses were built in nearly a quarter of council areas in the last year.
“The SNP-Green Government’s disastrous changes to housing policy in Scotland have created the problems being faced today with a collapse in housing completions and undermining of investor confidence in the housing sector.
“Combined with the deeply damaging impact that savage SNP cuts are having on council budgets up and down Scotland, local authorities simply do not have the resources to deliver the housing that is required in these communities.
“That is devastating when a record number of children are living in temporary accommodation and a record number of live homeless cases are open.”
Figures published on Tuesday showed there were 40,685 new homelessness applications recorded in 2023-24, an increase of 4% on the previous year.
Meanwhile, there were 31,870 live applications as of March 31 this year – the highest on record.
A record number of children were also living in temporary accommodation in 2023-24, increasing to 10,110 from 9,595 from the previous year.
Mr Briggs added: “SNP ministers must finally give our councils a fair funding deal so that desperately needed council houses can be built as a matter of urgency.”
“Paul McLennan needs to offer real solutions and listen to all voices in the housing sector offering ways to fix the housing emergency urgently,” he added.
In the year to June, there were 3,480 homes were completed by housing associations.
East Dunbartonshire and Clackmannanshire record no housing association completions, alongside zero local authority builds.
Housing association new build completions were highest in Argyll and Bute at over 24 homes per 10,000 population.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "All of the councils mentioned have affordable homes supply through other methods such as acquiring empty properties or delivering new builds alongside social landlords.
"We have a strong track record in supporting the delivery of more affordable homes - with more than 133,000 homes completed since 2007, including more than 94,000 social rented homes.
"We will continue to build on that record with a total investment of almost £600 million in affordable housing this year, the majority of which will be for social rent, including supporting acquisition of existing properties.
"We have made record funding of more than £14 billion available to councils in 2024-25 to deliver a range of services, including in homelessness services, and we will continue to support councils to tackle the crisis.”
A total of 19,293 houses were built in the year up to the end of June 2024, while 15,296 new builds were started in the same time frame.
It is 4,003 fewer homes completed and 3,032 fewer builds started compared to the previous year.
More than 14,000 of completed home were for the private sector, while 5,053 were social housing.
Excluding 2020, when Covid-19 impacted housebuilding, completions were the lowest since 2018 and new starts were the lowest since 2013.
First Minister John Swinney was urged to sack the housing minister following the publication of homelessness figures.
Mr McLennan said on Tuesday that the Scottish Government had a "strong track record" in the delivery of affordable homes.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar used First Minister's Questions on Thursday to urge Mr Swinney to sack Mr McLennan, who he described as "out of touch".
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