MORE than three-quarters of builders believe the target of constructing 50,000 affordable homes by 2021 is unachievable even with the current "cheap and low quality" strategy.

The Scottish Building Federation (SBF) said the Scottish Government’s focus should be on constructing “quality” homes rather than low-cost properties.

It came as Communities Secretary Angela Constance announced a £756 million investment in affordable housing – a 28 per cent funding increase to help hit the target.

SBF said the additional funding would help towards the “numerical target” but questioned whether it would deliver “the right mix and quality of homes Scotland actually needs for the future”.

A survey of builders found that three-quarters think the Scottish Government is “unlikely” to achieve the target, while 13 per cent of respondents said the target “definitely” will not be met.

Only nine per cent said housebuilding will hit its target.

Most builders felt procurement decisions are mainly focussed on price, while other considerations like quality, the use of local subcontractors and the creation of local employment opportunities are a lower priority.

Vaughan Hart, SBF managing director, said: “There is obviously a genuine concern within the construction sector that, based on its current approach to procurement, the Scottish Government is not going to reach its affordable housing target.

“At the same time, there is equally a concern that current housing procurement decisions are too much driven by cost above all other considerations. That is not going to help us to deliver the types of housing Scotland needs for the future.

“Applied correctly, procurement has the potential to be a powerful tool that helps to deliver a combination of benefits to Scotland’s society and economy.

“It should be delivering the right mix and quality of housing in suitably large numbers and in the right locations – while delivering associated benefits in terms of supporting local building contractors that are able to offer sustainable local employment opportunities.

“Our members’ concern is that, with price treated as the overwhelming priority for procuring authorities, this simply isn’t happening at the moment and that is a huge missed opportunity.”

A lack of supply is among the factors blamed last month for Scotland experiencing the fastest growing house prices in the UK, according to estate agent’s Your Move.

Its Scotland House Price Index, compiled with Acadata, suggested that a lack of supply helped drive prices upwards in September, with the average property hitting £177,960.

The additional £756m announced by the government will be made available through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme.

The programme is expected to support up to 14,000 jobs in the construction and related sectors over the next four years.

Ms Constance said: “Ensuring everyone has access to a safe, warm and affordable place to call home lies at the heart of our ambition for a fairer Scotland – this budget will deliver on that.

“Core to that is our commitment to deliver at least 50,000 affordable homes over this Parliament. While that is challenging, we have shown before that we can deliver.

“Overall, this funding delivers on our More Homes Scotland approach – increasing supply across all tenures, supporting aspiring home owners, and boosting the economy. We have reintroduced council house building, supported first-time buyers, invested in shared equity, and introduced innovations like the Rental Income Guarantee Scheme and bringing empty homes into ownership.

“This builds on our commitment to work with councils and housing associations to ensure they have the financial certainty to increase developments. We will continue working closely with them and others as we take action to deliver good quality, secure, affordable housing.”