Over 47,500 – nearly 28 per cent – of households in Fife face one or more forms of housing need, according to a new report.

The stark figure – which includes 35,000 homes in South and Central Fife – follows one of the most comprehensive polls of its kind into the housing needs of the nation, which found that over 690,000 households are in one or more forms of housing need.

The independent report was commissioned by Homes for Scotland (HFS), the sector body representing the country’s home builders, and carried out by The Diffley Partnership and Rettie & Co.

It finds that estimates of housing need to date, calculated through the Scottish Government’s Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool, have significantly underestimated how many households are facing housing hardship, including those in Fife.

READ MORE: Fife Council to spend £16.5m on buying back 150 homes

According to the report, a significantly higher number of households in Fife than that currently identified should be counted as being in housing need.

Across the local authority area, the poll found that 23,000 households in south and central Fife and 6,600 households in north Fife had at least one concealed household which is an individual or group of people in an existing household who wish to move out to form their own household but are currently unable to do so.

A further 6,000 households in south and central Fife were found to be living in overcrowded accommodation while 3,000 households in south and central Fife were found to be living in ‘unfit’ properties where at least one aspect of the property is in ‘very poor’ condition.

In South and Central Fife, there were 3.000 households requiring specialised housing adaptation or support and 7,000 that said they are struggling financially due to high housing costs.

The “Existing Housing Need in Scotland” report includes the findings of a survey of 13,690 people in Scotland.

It found that an alarming number of households are not being counted as part of official figures into housing need. This includes those living in unfit properties, overcrowded accommodation and homes requiring specialist adaptations as well as households that are concealed or struggling financially as a direct result of high housing costs.

Official data shows that across Fife, 800 households are living in homeless temporary accommodation while 16,219 people are on the waiting list for a social home.

According to HFS, the Scottish Government and local authorities are underestimating the true extent of Scotland’s housing need.

Its chief executive, Jane Wood, said: “Adequate housing is a human right, but today more than a quarter of households in Scotland are in one or more forms of housing need – including 47,500 in Fife.

"There is simply no excuse for Scotland to continue this housing deficit trajectory. By utilising data to inform policies, and with public and private sectors working collaboratively and intelligently together, we have the opportunity to recognise the true extent of housing need in Scotland and to build the homes of all tenures that we need in adequate numbers and in the right places.

“We need to create an inclusive and agile housing system, one that meets the needs of all those living in Scotland and can cope with additional demand caused by unexpected and global events. "We are committed to working with Fife Council to do just that. "

Earlier this month, Fife Council outlined its aim to tackle homelessness by spending £16.5 million on buying 150 homes over the next three years.

READ MORE: Fife Council on the brink of declaring a housing emergency

With homelessness figures in Fife hitting record highs. the new strategy will also see the local authority speed up the turnover of properties, persuade more private landlords to lease to the council, 'flip' 100 temporary tenancies to permanent and bring back into use more long-term empty homes – last year there were 2,471 in Fife – for social housing, potentially through compulsory purchase orders.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's cabinet committee, Head of housing, John Mills, said: "We've got a legacy issue where some of the stock may be deemed to be redundant, it's not economically viable to bring it up to scratch, and we've been looking at parts of the Touch estate with the City of Dunfermline area committee.

"I think the council is always going to have to do a balancing act between building, buying but also just recognising that some of our stock needs to come down, as we try and bring it up to the higher efficiency standard that's part of the climate change plan.

"There will be an element of demolition in that."