Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure: 1997-1998 to 2017-2018 (near actuals) and 2018-2019 (estimates)

Local Authority housing stock (chart 1)

8. There were 310,150 council houses in Scotland as at March 2018. This is a decrease of around 2,000 houses since March 2017. However, the number is forecast to rise to 311,320 (up 1,200) by March 2019. The number of council houses has fallen by around 50% since 1997. About 150,000 of the 315,000 reduction was due to sales to sitting tenants under Right-To-Buy (RtB), around 115,000 was due to the transfer by 6 councils of their total housing stock to Housing Associations and about 50,000 was due to demolition of unsuitable stock.

9. The decrease in council housing stock has slowed in recent years, particularly from 2008 and has increased in the latest year of reporting. This is mainly because of reductions in council house sales under RtB to sitting tenants and additions to council housing through new council house building^[3]. Fifteen councils had increases in their council housing stock at March 2018. It should be noted that the provision to end RtB - with a two year notice period - was included in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 and the scheme subsequently closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016. 

Chart 1: Number of council houses per year, Scotland^1,2,3,4

Source:

Scottish Government, Communities Analytical Division - based on Housing Revenue Account return provided by Scottish Local Authorities.

Notes:

1. From 2007 the HRA return asks for housing stock at 31 March each year. Prior to thise figures were recorded at September each year. 

2. Six councils transferred their housing stock to the housing association sector, therefore HRA information is not available (n.a.) for them.  

3. Dotted lines indicate breaks in comparability following transfer of housing stock as follows from Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, Argyll & Bute Eilean Siar and Inverclyde.     

4. The provision to end RtB - with a two year notice period - was included in the Housing (Scotland) Act which received Royal Assent on 1st August 2014, and the scheme subsequently closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016. 

r = revision on 31/10/2017. The date was reported as 1 August 2016. The correct data is 31 July 2016.