Affordable Housing Supply Programme: out-turn report 2020-2021

Forms of housing

Tables 14 (a), (b) and (c) showing Forms of housing funding for social and other affordable homes for Approvals, Site Starts and Completion are within the Annex.

Definitions of New Build, Off the Shelf and Rehab are within the Glossary.

Location of housing

Tables 15 (a) and (b) showing Completions and Expenditure by location[1] are within the Annex.

Definitions of Local Programmes and Central Programmes are within the Glossary.

The Scottish Government use the 6-Fold Urban Rural Classification when categorising homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), based on information provided by AHSP grant applicants.  The postcode information is checked using the National Registers of Scotland Scottish Postcode Directory. 

Table 16 (a) showing AHSP Approvals, Site Starts, Completions and Expenditure on Islands for 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 , 2019-20 and 2020-21 is within the Annex.

All homes and expenditure in Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney and Shetland and homes and expenditure on islands within the Argyll and Bute, Highlands and North Ayrshire Local Authorities for 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21.

It should be noted that due to the nature of grant funding provided through the AHSP there is no direct correlation between homes delivered and expenditure in each year.

Expenditure and homes delivered through the OMSE and Rural and Islands Housing Fund programme have also been included.

Table 16(B) showing AHSP Approvals, Site Starts, Completions and Expenditure on Islands by Programme for 2020-21 is within the Annex.

Particular Needs

The Scottish Government wants disabled people in Scotland to have choice, dignity and freedom to access suitable homes, built or adapted to enable them to participate as full and equal citizens and we are working with local authorities to implement this through our investment.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) continues to support the delivery of flexible, adaptable housing to meet people’s needs as they change.  Wherever possible, all homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs Standards (HfVN). The grant subsidy arrangements for the AHSP are sufficiently flexible to support the development of specialist housing identified by local authorities as a priority, helping disabled people live independently in their own homes, and older people to stay at home for longer.

Refreshed Local Housing Strategy (LHS) guidance published in September 2019 expects local authorities to demonstrate in a LHS that consideration has been given to the specialist provision requirements for those of all ages, in all types of household, across all tenures, including disabled people and people with high support needs currently either in long term care in hospital or out of area placement, those discharged from hospital or a similar institution.  It also requires each LHS to include information on what target has been set for delivery of wheelchair accessible housing across all tenures in the local authority area.  Priorities and outcomes identified in a LHS help inform local authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans which set out the key strategic affordable housing investment priorities over a five year period.

Table 17 in the Annex shows that 716 homes were purpose built for older people or disabled people including 198 identified as specifically designed for wheelchair users. 

Quality Measures

The programme delivered housing that can be accessed by the majority of the population and that is safe and secure to live in. 

Of the information returned, Tables 18 (a) and 18 (b) in the Annex show the percentage of RSL (rent & LCHO), new build[2], council house new build and Mid market rent new build completions meeting the Housing for Varying Needs (HfVN) and Secured by Design (SBD) during 2020-21.

Greener Standards

Within the AHSP there exists a strong focus on enhancing energy efficiency.  To incentivise delivery of new homes which meet a higher ‘greener’ standard, a system to vary the subsidy benchmarks for new council and housing association homes was introduced in 2012-13. 

To qualify for higher subsidy, the building standards for the new homes must meet Section 7, Silver Level, of the 2019 Building Regulations in respect of both Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Energy for Space Heating.

Of the information returned, Table 19 in the Annex shows the percentage of RSL (rent & Mid market rent) and council house social rent approvals which qualified for higher ‘greener’ subsidy.