33,490 Affordable Homes delivered over the last five years

There have been a total of 33,490 affordable housing completions in the five years between 2011/12 and 2015/16, a figure which exceeds by almost 3,500 homes (12%) the Scottish Government target of 30,000 affordable homes

Within the 33,490 total, the number of social rented completions have totalled 22,523, exceeding the government target by over 2,500 homes (13%), and council house completions have totalled 5,992, exceeding the government target by almost 1,000 homes (20%).

Latest quarterly housing statistics have been released today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, which includes information on new house building, the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, and local authority house sales (right to buy).

Total all-sector new house building starts and completions have both increased by 3% from 2014 to 2015 (12 months to end December), with starts up across this time period from 16,723 to 17,231 homes and completions up from 15,475 to 15,954 homes.

Key Points:

New Build Housing – All Sectors:

• There were 3,988 new build homes completed between October and December 2015; a 5% decrease on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end December 2015 to 15,954, up 3% (479 homes) compared to the 15,475 completed in the previous year.
• There were 3,585 new build homes started between October and December 2015; 12% fewer than the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end December 2015 to 17,231 which is up by 3% (508 homes) compared to the 16,723 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Private-led Housing:

• Between October and December 2015, 3,120 private sector led homes were completed; 5% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for 2015 to 11,917, which is 2% (205 homes) lower than the 12,122 completions in the previous year.
• There were 2,491 private sector led starts between October and December 2015, 23% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for 2015 to 12,896, which is 0.2% (27 homes) lower than the 12,923 starts in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined):

• There were 868 social housing completions between October and December 2015; 2% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end December 2015 to 4,037. This is 20% increase on the 3,353 social sector completed in the previous year.
• Meanwhile 1,094 social sector homes were started between October and December 2015; 29% more than the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end December 2015 to 4,335; a 14% increase on the previous year.
• More up-to-date figures show that, in January to March 2016, 1,098 social sector homes were completed (35% fewer than the 1,677 completions in the same quarter in 2014), and 1,910 were started (5% more than the same quarter in 2014). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end December 2015 to 3,458 (an 18% decrease on the 4,221 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end December 2015 are now at 4,418 (13% more than the 3,902 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes:

• There were 567 housing association completions between October and December 2015, which is 8% fewer than the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end December 2015 to 2,954. This is a 24% (568 homes) increase on the 2,386 completions over the previous year.
• There were 785 housing association approvals between October and December 2015; 54% more than the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end December 2015 to 2,893. This is an increase of 12% (320 homes) on the 2,573 approvals in the previous year.
• More up-to-date figures show that a total of 700 Housing Association homes were completed between January to March 2016, a 48% decrease on the 1,334 homes completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end March 2016 to 2,320, which is a decrease of 24% on the 3,064 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 1,610 Housing Association homes were approved between January to March 2016, which is 1% more than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end December 2015 to 2,892, a 10% increase on the 2,634 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes:

• There were 301 local authority completions between October and December 2015, which is 12% more than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for 2015 to 1,083. This is a 12% (116 homes) increase on the 967 completions the previous year.
• There were 309 local authority starts between October and December 2015; 9% lower than the number in the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for 2015 to 1,442. This is a 18% (215 homes) increase on the 1,227 starts in the previous year.
• More up-to-date figures show that, in January to March 2016, 398 local authority houses were completed (an 16% increase on the same quarter in 2014), and 300 were started (up by 30% on the same quarter in 2015). This brings the total completions for the year to end March 2016 to 1,138, 2% fewer than the 1,157 completions in the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end March 2016 now stands at 1,512 which is an increase of 19% on the 1,268 local authority homes completed in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply – up to end March 2016

Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) statistics reflect the broader supply of affordable homes (i.e. for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership) and include off-the-shelf purchases and rehabilitations as well as new build.

• The latest quarterly statistics for the year to end March 2016 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 6,518 for the year up to March 2016, down 8% on the previous year. This includes a decrease in affordable rent completions (down by 8% or 87 homes), and social rent completions (down by 12% or 523 homes), and an increase affordable home ownership completions (up by 4%, or 59 homes). Meanwhile, there were 7,945 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end March 2016, up by 26% or 1,645 homes. There were 7,682 new affordable houses started, up by 16%, or 1,041 homes, compared to the previous year.

Right to Buy Applications and Sales:

• Following the announcement of the end of Right to Buy in July 2013 the number of applications and the number of sales both increased. The most recent figures available are for October to December 2015. During this period there were 913 Right to Buy applications (47% higher than in the same quarter the previous year) and 475 sales (1% higher than in the same quarter in the previous year).