More than one in five homes built to help first-time buyers take their fledgling step on the property ladder in Scotland are lying empty, according to official figures.

The New Supply Shared Equity scheme allows people on lower incomes to purchase properties they would otherwise be unable to afford.

However, the slump in the housing market and tighter lending criteria imposed by banks has left housing associations across the country with homes they are unable to sell, even with generous shared equity deals on offer.

The Scottish Government has indicated many of the homes can now be used for rented social housing, if they have been empty for a long period. However, housing associations say it is far from clear how and when this will happen. Through the scheme, housing associations are able to offer a percentage of homes on private developments, mainly to tenants looking to get on the housing ladder.

The latest figures show that since 2005 there have been 1324 properties built for shared equity programmes, where a buyer takes out a majority share of the mortgage and a housing association pays the rest, often between 20% and 40%.

However, last month a government survey found there were 278 still empty, prompting further fears for the ailing housing market. Properties are lying empty in 17 council areas. The highest number are in Edinburgh, where there are 60 unoccupied. There are also 39 in Glasgow and 31 in Perth and Kinross.

In Glasgow, a £154,000 two-bedroom flat in a new development at The Junction, in Pollokshields, is available with a stake of between 60% and 80% - from £92,400 to £123,200.

At Mill Wharf, north of the city centre, North Glasgow Housing Association has four unsold flats from an allocation of 21, at prices of between £79,197 to £81,300 for a 60% equity stake. Housing officials are concerned wider problems in the housing and financial sector will leave them with homes they cannot sell or rent out.

David Stewart, policy and strategy manager with the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said the problem has been acute right across the country.

"In Edinburgh specifically, associations had developed properties and then the value of homes fell. There was still demand but people were unable to get mortgages for the price asked. This has been partly resolved by government allowing associations to offer the homes at the new reduced market value," he said. "All over Scotland the demand has just gone completely, leaving associations with the empty properties."

Discussions with housing leaders have prompted the Scottish Government to allow associations to remove the unwanted homes from the housing market.

The New Supply Shared Equity programme has grown since 2005/06, when 195 homes were completed, to a high of 519 in 2007/08.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "We keep the performance of all of our affordable housing programmes under close review, particularly in the current housing market and economic conditions.

"Shared equity, especially open market shared equity, is still popular. Over 260 New Supply Shared Equity homes, along with over 390 open market shared equity homes, have been sold across Scotland since April last year.

"However, we are aware a significant proportion of the New Supply Shared Equity developments have been affected and have put in place new guidance for staff to allow flexibility to find the best solution for each development."

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