Housing statistics quarterly update: December 2018

Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (published 11 December 2018)

This quarterly statistical publication provides information on recent trends in:

• New build housing starts and completions by sector (up to end June 2018, with more up-to-date social sector information available up to end September 2018)
• The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (up to end September 2018)
• Long term empty properties and second homes (up to end September 2018)

Background information including Excel tables and an explanatory note on the Quarterly Housing Statistics can be found in the Housing Statistics webpages.

Chart 1: Quarterly new build completions, 2007 up to end September 2018

Key Points

New Build Housing – All Sectors – up to end June 2018

There were 5,079 new build homes completed between April and June 2018; a 9% increase (416 homes) on the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 18,182, up 4% (695 homes) compared to the 17,487 completed in the previous year.

There were 4,697 new build homes started between April 2018 and June 2018, 6% less (306 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 19,303 which is down by 6% (1,231 homes) compared to the 20,534 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Private-led Housing – up to end June 2018

Between April and June 2018, 4,145 private sector led homes were completed; 9% more (357 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 13,494 which is 2% less (229 homes) than the 13,723 completions in the previous year.

There were 3,539 private sector led starts between April and June 2018, 19% less than (855 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year ending June 2018 to 12,686 which is 11% less (1,593 homes) than the 14,279 starts in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined) – up to end June 2018

There were 934 social sector completions between April and June 2018; 7% more than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 4,688. This is a 25% increase on the 3,764 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 1,158 social sector homes were started between April and June 2018; almost double the number in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 6,617. This is a 6% increase on the 6,255 social sector starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end September 2018

Between July and September 2018, 1,286 social sector homes were completed (22% more than the 1,055 completions in the same quarter in 2017), and 842 were started (4% less than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2018 to 4,919 (a 26% increase on the 3,916 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end September 2018 are now at 6,584 (13% more than the 5,810 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes – up to end June 2018

There were 526 housing association completions between April and June 2018, 2% more than the 518 completions in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 3,138, a 25% (618 homes) increase on the 2,520 completions over the previous year.

There were 563 housing association approvals between April and June 2018; 26% more than the 447 approvals in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end June 2018 to 4,826. This is a 4% (215 homes) decrease on the 5,041 approvals in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end September 2018

A total of 960 Housing Association homes were completed between July and September 2018, 40% (274 homes) more completions than in the same period in the previous year. This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2018 to 3,412, which is an increase of 35% on the 2,525 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 478 Housing Association homes were approved between July and September 2018, 2 homes less than the 480 approvals in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end September 2018 to 4,824, a 3% increase on the 4,704 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes – up to end June 2018

There were 408 local authority completions between April and June 2018, which is 14% (51 homes) more than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for year ending June 2018 to 1,550. This is a 25% (306 homes) increase on the 1,244 completions in the previous year.

There were 595 local authority starts between April and June 2018; over three times more (433 homes) than in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for year ending June 2018 to 1,791. This is a 48% (577 homes) increase on the 1,214 starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end September 2018

Between April and June 2018, 326 local authority houses were completed (12% less than the same quarter in the previous year), and 364 were started (8% less than in the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the year to end September 2018 to 1,507, which is 8% more than the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end September 2018 now stands at 1,760 which is an increase of 59% on the 1,106 local authority homes started in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply – up to end September 2018

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 builds.

The latest statistics for the year to end September 2018 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled to 8,767, up 21% on the 7,271 completions in the previous year. This includes increases in social rent completions (up by 19% or 864 homes) and affordable home ownership completions (up by 36% or 635 homes), with a small decrease seen in affordable rent completions (down 3 homes).

There were 11,565 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end September 2018, up by 9% or 909 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in social rent approvals (up by 10% or 684 homes), and affordable home ownership approvals (up by 34% or 641 homes), with a decrease in affordable rent approvals (down by 19% or 416 homes).

There were 10,198 affordable houses started in the year to end September 2018, up by 2% or 206 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in affordable rent starts (up by 4% or 57 homes), and affordable home ownership starts (up by 27% or 485 homes), but a decrease in social rent starts (down 5% or 336 homes).

Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform the Scottish Government target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 homes for social rent, over the period 2016/17 to 2020/21, and reflect the number of affordable homes delivered that have received some form of government support through loans, grant or guarantees.

Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes

The total number of long term empty properties and second homes has increased in the latest year by 1,222 properties (2%) from 62,795 in September 2017 to 64,017. However the figure as at September 2018 is 2,036 homes (3%) lower than the 66,053 properties recorded as at September 2012.