More affordable homes completed

The Scottish Government is on track to hit its ambitious target of 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

Statistics published today show there were more than 9,500 affordable homes delivered in 2018-19, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year.

As part of this rise, completions of social rented homes accounted for 6,573 of the properties, 25% more than the previous year.

The statistics also show a record increase in the number of new build homes completed across all sectors, which reached more than 20,000 for the first time in ten years.

This rise is reflected in the Registers of Scotland property market report, also published today, which shows that 12 per cent of all residential property sales in the last year were new builds - the highest proportion since 2008-09.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said:

“Everyone in Scotland deserves a safe, warm place to live, and I’m delighted that since 2007 we have delivered a total of 86,109 affordable homes including 59,131 homes for social rent.

“We are also firmly on track to deliver our target of 50,000 affordable homes by 2021, backed by investment of £3.3 billion. The statistics highlight more than half the homes are now completed with approvals well on course.

“Providing more affordable homes is a crucial part of this government’s aim to create a fairer Scotland, and improve communities through inclusive growth.

“On my visits across the country, I have seen the real difference these new developments have made to people’s lives. A home is more than just bricks and mortar – it’s about a sense of identity and belonging.

“It is also great to see a rise in the number of new homes across all sectors providing choice across all tenures.”

Background

Read the official statistics publication.

Affordable housing programme

• Between April 2007 and March 2019, a total of 86,109 affordable homes have now been delivered, including 59,131 homes for social rent, 6,575 homes for affordable rent, and 20,403 homes for affordable home ownership
• Affordable housing supply completions in 2018-19 totalled 9,535 – a 12% increase on the previous year and within that, completions of social rented homes accounted for 6,573 and were 25% higher than the previous year

• 25,405 affordable homes have been delivered in the first three years of the five-year 50,000 target period. This equates to 51% of the homes required at a point in time in which 60% of the target period has elapsed

• 33,083 affordable homes have been approved in the first three years of the five-year 50,000 target period

All sector housing

• There were 20,255 new build all sector completions in the 12 months to end December 2018, an increase of 2,669 homes (15%) on the 17,586 completions in the previous year, the largest annual percentage increase over the last decade and the first time that annual completions have totalled over 20,000 homes since 2008
• Private-led new builds increased by 1,491 homes (11%) to 15,152, the first time that annual private-led completions have topped 15,000 homes since 2008. Housing association new build completions increased by 1,334 homes (54%), whilst local authority new build completions decreased by 156 homes (11%), resulting in an increase of 1,178 new build completions (30%) across the social sector as a whole

• There were a total of 22,258 all sector starts in the 12 months to end December 2018, an increase of 2,621 homes (13%) on the 19,637 starts in the previous year, and the highest annual starts figure since 2007. Housing association approvals increased by 1,038 homes (23%), and local authority starts increased by 306 homes (22%), whilst private-led new build starts increased by 1,277 homes (9%)
• The Property Market Report 2018-19 shows that 12 per cent of all residential transactions are now accounted for by new build sales, the highest proportion since 2008-09