Housing and regeneration outcomes framework: indicator updates

Homes that meet peoples needs

• summary table

• accessing a home 

• keeping a home

• supporting independent living​​​​

Summary table on indicator measures for homes that meet peoples needs

Accessing a Home 

Chart 20 – Housing Lists (Source: Scottish Government)

The Scotland - Gross (LA & CHR) estimates are based a compilation of Local Authority (LA) and Common Housing Register (CHR) Lists and includes applicants on Transfer Lists. These estimates  include double counting of applicants on more than one list but also exclude applicants on lists in the 6 LAs (including Glasgow), which have transferred all of their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

The Scotland – Net (MORI) estimates are derived from the MORI Omnibus Surveys carried out  in Aug’10 and Feb’11. They cover the whole of Scotland and specifically ask about and exclude double-counting of applicants. (Please note the small sample size of this survey means the results should be treated with caution and only used as a broad indication).

The Scotland – Net (Scottish Household Survey) estimates are derived from questions included in the survey from 2013. They cover the whole of Scotland and also exclude double-counting of applicants on more than one list. (These estimates are based on responses from at least 9,400 households per year and can be considered to be reliable).

Recent trends show a decrease in gross (LA & CHR) housing lists, falling by 44,429 (22%), from 202,235 in 2008 to 157,806 in 2018, after which there have been increases in the years since, with 178,260 on a housing list in 2021, an increase of 8% (13,314) on the previous year. This represents a worsening performance for this indicator. These longer term trends need to be considered with some caution as there have been administrative changes to housing lists, including greater use of Common Housing Registers. With the increase in the most recent year to March 2021, likely to be due to impacts from the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Net - MORI and Net - Scottish Household Survey results both point to a national total below that of the Gross (LA & CHR) figures. The Scottish Household Survey also showed a reduction of 60,000 (35%) in the number of households on housing lists, from 170,000 in 2013 to 110,000 in 2016. However there was an increase of 20,000 (18%) to 130,000 in 2017 which remained at this level to 2019. In addition, in 2017 a further 20,000 households reported that they were not on a housing list, but have applied for social rented housing using choice based lettings, with an equivalent figure of 10,000 being seen in 2018 and 20,000 in 2019.  Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic period, the results of the SHS 2020 telephone survey are not directly comparable to SHS results for previous years, and are not considered suitable for the purposes of indicator reporting

(Note. Some of the decrease in Scottish Household Survey results between 2013 and 2016 may be due to some social landlords moving to a choice based letting system, as opposed to a more traditional points based housing list system. This may have resulted in some households not considering themselves to be on a housing list even though they are actively seeking social housing. The new questions added to the 2017 survey now provide estimates of these households.)

Chart 21 – Percentage of Homeless Households Entitled to Settled Accommodation (Source: Scottish Government - Homelessness Statistics)

This indicator measured progress towards the December 2012 Homelessness Target, since when all unintentionally homeless households are assessed as priority need and entitled to settled accommodation.

Chart 22 – Number of Over-Crowded Homes by Tenure (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish House Conditions Survey)

Chart 23 – Number of Under-Occupied Homes by Tenure (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish House Conditions Survey)

The total number of over-crowded homes in Scotland, defined by the Bedroom Standard, fell from an estimated 53,000 in 2018 to 51,000 in 2019. In the longer term, this represents a fall of 23,000 (or 31%) from a peak of 74,000 in 2014.

In 2019, 2.1% of homes in Scotland were over-crowded. This rate was highest in Private Rented Sector (4.2% or 13,000 homes) and the Social Rented Sector (3.3% or 21,000 homes) and lowest in the owner-occupied homes (1.1% or 18,000 homes).

In 2019, there was an increase of 9,000 (0.5%) in the estimated number of under-occupied homes in Scotland from 1.721m in 2018 to 1.730m in 2019.

Overall, 69.3% of homes were under-occupied, with the rate highest in owner-occupied (82.9%) homes and lower for the Private Rented Sector (53.2%) and Social Rented Sector (44.0%).

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic there was no Scottish House Condition Survey physical data collected in 2020. Results from the 2021 physical survey are due to be published in 2023.

Chart 24 – Percentage of People Who Consider Services Convenient (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish Household Survey)

In 2018 the SHS question on the percentage of people who consider services convenient has been removed from the survey. Therefore data is only available up to 2016.

The percentage of people who considered local services convenient was around 78% between 2007 and 2009. This was followed by 2 years of increase to 80.5% in 2011, with a similar level in 2012 of 80.4%. The level in 2014 was 1% higher at 81.4%, before dropping slightly to 80.8% in 2016.

The list of services covered includes: a small amount of food shopping; chemist; post office; cash machine and banking services; dentist and doctor surgery and hospital outpatient services; public transport; petrol station.

Keeping a home 

Chart 25 – Number of Reposessions of Regulated Mortgages (Securitised and Unsecuritised) in UK (Source: Financial Conduct Authority)

UK data on mortgage repossessions is used as a proxy for the likely pattern in Scotland.

There was a steep 155% rise in the number of repossessions between 2007 and 2009, the period of the financial crisis and economic recession, which led to a sharp increase in unemployment. As the economy began to recover, and unemployment fell, repossessions also fell, from 36,978 in 2009 to 5,874 in 2016, further supported by low mortgage rates. From 2016 to 2019, repossessons were at a relatively stable level.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, repossessions fell to 1,459 in 2020 and 1,310 in 2021. A key contributor to this fall was FCA guidance which recommended that lenders provide tailored support to those affected and that evictions should not be enforced. Further reductions in interest rates during this period would also have helped keep repossessions low.

Chart 26 – Evictions or Abandomnents in the Social Rented Sector (Source: Scottish Government, Scottish Housing Regulator)

There was a large decrease in the total number of evictions and abandonments from 3,573 in 2007/08 to 2,204 in 2009/10, followed by a further fall to 1,708 by 2013/14. Between 2013/14 and 2017/18 was an increase of 697 (41%), reaching 2,405 in 2017/18. In 2019/20, there was an overall decrease of 18% to 1,915 from 2018/19.

In 2020/21, the total number of evictions and abandonments fell to 118, due to legislation brought in to prevent evictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Supporting independent living

Chart 27 – Percentage of Households in Need, Requiring One or More Adaptations (Source: Scottish Government - Scottish House Conditions Survey)

The source of data for this indicator is the Scottish House Condition Survey. However it is based on about 230 households in the sample annually, which have (i) at least one person with a long term illness and/or disability and (ii) a self-assessed need for adaptations in the home. It is not based on needs assessed by an occupational therapist, the access route to adaptations for most people.

As such, this data can only be used to provide an indicative estimate of the percentage of such households in need requiring one or more adaptations, which averaged around  45.4% over the 8 years 2012 to 2018. Results for 2019 showed an increase of 11.5% points to 53.6%. Due to the small sample sizes, a threshold of +/-10 percentage points has been set to determine whether this indicator is showing an ‘improving’ or ‘worsening’ position from year to year. Most annual changes have been within this threshold, although the latest year performance is seen to be “worsening”.

Note that due to the impacts from the Covid pandemic there was no physical survey SHQS data collected in 2020. Results from the 2021 physical survey are due to be published in 2023.