Scottish Government have now written to SFHA to outline updated affordable housing investment benchmarks, and social rent benchmark assumptions, which take immediate effect.  

The affordable housing benchmarks have been increased by 5%. These are adjusted using data from the Scottish Social Housing Tender Price Index for the 2023 calendar year but represent a much smaller increase than the 16.9% increase last year. An additional quality measure benchmark of £4,560 per unit (at the three-person equivalent level) has also been introduced to account for key changes introduced by the February 2023 revision of building regulations.  

Scottish Government are in the process of sending the updated sets of benchmarks to delivery partners and have advised that any tender applications which have been submitted, but have yet to be approved, will be immediately considered using these updated benchmarks. 

You can download the updated benchmark assumptions at the right hand side of this article

SFHA will be exploring the impact of the new benchmarks for members. If you’d like to discuss any of this with a member of the team please do get in touch.