Scotland's Housing Debate: More People Want New Homes Than Oppose Them

The housing debate in Scotland is often framed around opposition to development, but new research from Barclays Property Insights suggests the reality is more nuanced. Almost half of adults in Scotland support new homes being built within three miles of where they live, compared with just 15% who oppose local development.

The findings suggest Scotland is more YIMBY — "Yes In My Back Yard" — than NIMBY, with support for housebuilding particularly strong among younger generations. Across the UK, 52% of Gen Z adults support new homes being built locally, compared with 16% who oppose development. Support remains higher than opposition across every generation, although it falls from 52% among Gen Z to 37% among Baby Boomers.

For Scotland, the findings point to a clear public appetite for increasing housing supply, but also highlight the importance of ensuring development delivers tangible benefits for existing communities.

When asked what the Government should prioritise over the next three years, building more social and affordable housing ranked first among adults in Scotland, cited by 38%. Reducing homelessness and rough sleeping followed closely at 37%, while 27% said building more homes across the UK should be a priority.

The figures underline that Scotland's housing challenge is not simply about the number of homes being built. Affordability, homelessness and access to suitable housing remain central concerns, particularly at a time when younger generations face significant barriers to entering the property market.

The research also challenges the assumption that opposition to development is primarily driven by concerns over house prices. Among UK adults who oppose new local development, only 7% said they were concerned about the potential impact on the value of their own home. Instead, concerns were overwhelmingly focused on the wider impact of development on communities.

Loss of green space, countryside or natural habitat was the leading concern, cited by 61% of opponents, followed by pressure on local services such as GPs and schools at 57%. Increased traffic and congestion was cited by 55%, while 52% were concerned about insufficient local infrastructure.

That provides an important lesson for policymakers and developers. The research suggests that opposition can be reduced when communities can see that new housing will be accompanied by investment in the infrastructure needed to support it.

Across the UK, 26% of those who oppose local development said additional GP and healthcare capacity would make them more likely to support new homes. Investment in roads and infrastructure followed at 18%, while 15% pointed to increased green space and community facilities.

For Scotland, this creates an opportunity to rethink the relationship between housing development and local communities. Building more homes does not have to mean choosing between growth and quality of life. If new development is planned alongside healthcare, transport, green space and community infrastructure, it can become an investment in the wider community rather than simply an increase in housing supply.

The research also highlights the challenges facing those trying to navigate the housing market itself. In Scotland, 64% of adults say they feel confident in their understanding of and ability to navigate the home-buying process, but 21% do not. Across the UK, the biggest areas of uncertainty among those lacking confidence are the conveyancing and legal process and understanding taxes and fees, both cited by 37%.

For younger buyers, affordability remains an even greater challenge. Across the UK, Gen Z adults most commonly identify saving for a deposit and understanding how much they can afford to borrow as areas where they feel least confident.

These challenges matter because increasing housing supply is only one part of creating a healthier housing market. Scotland also needs to ensure that people can access those homes, understand the process of buying them and build the financial confidence necessary to take their next step.

The Barclays findings therefore point towards a housing conversation that is more constructive than the traditional NIMBY narrative suggests. There is significant support for new homes, particularly among younger people, but that support comes with an expectation that development should bring wider benefits.

For policymakers, developers and communities, the message is straightforward: build more homes, but build better places at the same time.

If Scotland can combine greater housing supply with investment in social and affordable homes, infrastructure, healthcare, transport and community facilities, new development could become not just a response to the housing shortage, but a catalyst for stronger communities and greater opportunity for the next generation.