Thursday January 22nd 2026
Plans for the 90-home development in Wallyford, East Lothian, where the First Minister first made the announcement (photo by Wheatley Group).
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The First Minister John Swinney has confirmed the Scottish Government intends to establish a new national housing agency, after first making the announcement at a visit to a housing development in Wallyford, East Lothian.
He announced that the agency will focus on simplicity, scale and speed to enable the delivery of housing of all types, helping to meet housing needs across Scotland.
The executive agency will be called ‘More Homes Scotland’ and is expected to start operating from 2027/28 with plans to be fully functional in 2028/29, depending on the outcome of the Scottish Parliament election.
It aims to focus on a number of key areas – large-scale affordable housing projects; rural and island housing; acquiring, preparing and releasing land; enabling infrastructure work to unlock stalled sites; and closer working with the Scottish National Investment Bank to make best use of private finance.
The First Minister made the announcement on a visit to a housing 90-home development in Wallyford alongside Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan. Developed by Wheatley Homes, the development includes mid-market and social rented homes.
The First Minister 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.
“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.”
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 local authorities and the Scottish National Investment Bank over the coming months, with an update expected to be provided to the Scottish Parliament in March.
David Ritchie Scottish National Investment Bank Chief Executive David Ritchie 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.
“As a mission-led investor, the Bank makes commercial investments that drive long-term societal and economic growth for Scotland. Our ‘Place’ mission is focused on improving communities, and a good home is a key tenet of that.
“Working with private investors and homebuilders we have developed innovative approaches to unlock finance, getting much-needed homes built across Scotland.”
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