The Scottish Government said around £690 million will be invested in housing in 2016-17 as part of a £3 billion plan to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years.

The government’s draft budget for 2016-17 aims to build between 8,000 and 9,000 new homes.

The government said the 2016-17 investment is expected to support between 13,000 and 15,000 jobs in the construction industry and generate up to £1.9 billion of economic activity.

“Housing is a key priority for this government and is fundamental to tackling inequalities and boosting the economy,” said housing minister Margaret Burgess.

“This £690 million housing investment is the first part of our bold, credible and affordable commitment to delivering 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

“Overall we will invest more than £3 billion in housing over the next five years as a crucial part of our drive to tackle poverty, and helping to give our children the best start in life …

“We have a strong record on housing. We had a target of delivering 30,000 affordable homes in this Parliament and have exceeded that. We are also approaching 4,000 new affordable homes approvals through a range of innovative financing mechanisms.”

The government said it has exceeded its target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of the current Parliament, with the most recent statistics showing a total of 30,133 affordable homes delivered between April 2011 and end October 2015.

This includes 20,400 for social rent and, within that, 5,292 council homes.