Scotland’s Housing Crisis: What’s Holding Us Back? – Episode #32
No Fluff. Just Real Industry Conversations
Scotland needs more homes. Yet housing completions are falling, development is becoming increasingly complex, and the construction industry continues to face mounting pressure to deliver.
So, what’s really holding us back?
Recorded live at the Scottish Construction Summit 2026, this special episode of The Hard Hat Talks sees Kenneth Martin joined by Dr Jocelyne Fleming from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and David Raine from Homes for Scotland for an open conversation about Scotland’s housing crisis and the challenges facing those trying to deliver new homes.
We explore why planning reform remains such a major talking point, whether growing regulation is making developments less viable, and if we’ve reached a stage where experienced professionals need greater freedom to use their judgement.
We also discuss the rising costs of delivering housing, the pressures facing smaller housebuilders, skills shortages, government policy and what the proposed More Homes Scotland agency could mean for the industry.
And, of course, there’s the question that developers, architects, contractors and the wider construction sector will recognise:
We know Scotland needs more homes, but when will we actually start seeing things improve?
What you’ll discover from the podcast
- Why Scotland’s housing figures are moving in the wrong direction and what this means for future delivery
- Why planning delays and growing regulatory requirements remain major challenges for developers and housebuilders
- Whether planning professionals should have greater freedom to use their professional judgement
- How the cumulative cost of regulation can affect development viability, particularly for smaller housebuilders
- Why planning reform alone may not be enough to resolve Scotland’s housing crisis
- How skills shortages, funding uncertainty and commercial pressures can restrict housing delivery
- Why well-intentioned government policies can sometimes create conflicting demands on the construction industry
- What the proposed More Homes Scotland agency needs to achieve to make a meaningful difference
- Why greater collaboration between government, industry bodies and those delivering projects is essential
- When Scotland might realistically begin to see improvements in housing delivery.
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