Housing statistics quarterly update: December 2018

New Build Housing – Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for just over a quarter of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end June 2018. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of September 2018. However, to enable easier understanding of how each sector contributes to the all sector totals described previously, figures are also presented for the same time period to end June (although quarterly charts include the latest quarter's data).

The more up-to-date figures for the social sector are presented later in this section.

Chart 7a: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end June 2008 to 2018

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end September 2008 to 2018

Chart 8: Quarterly new build approvals and completions (Housing Associations) since 2007 up to end September 2018

Chart 9: Quarterly new build approvals and completions (Local Authority) since 2007 up to end September 2018

Trends over the last ten years – social sector

Chart 7a shows the number of local authority and housing association homes started and completed each year (to end June) since 2008, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end September (the most recent information available). Charts 8 and 9 show quarterly figures for housing associations and local authorities, respectively.

Social sector house building has not followed the same pattern as the private sector over time as the number of homes being built did not suddenly drop in 2008 following the recession.

Between 2008 and 2009 (years to end June) the number of housing association completions increased from just under 3,800 to just under 5,500. Completions then decreased from just under 5,300 in 2011 to just over 2,500 in 2017, before increasing in the latest year to over 3,100 in 2018.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile decreased from just over 6,000 in 2008 to just over 2,000 in 2013 (years to end June). The figures then increased each year to over 5,000 in 2017, before dropped slightly to just over 4,800 in 2018.

The number of local authority homes built has gradually increased from just 26 homes in 2008 up to just over 1,200 in 2012 (years to end June). Completions decreased slightly in 2013 but have since increased to just over 1,500 in 2018. Local Authority housing has accounted for 9% of the total amount of new build homes completed across all sectors in the 12 months to end June 2018.

Trends to end June 2018 – social sector

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 on 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.

Sub-national figures for the year to end June 2018 – social sector

Maps C and D show the rates of housing association and local authority new build completions in each local authority for the year to end June 2018 per 10,000 of the population (based on the latest mid-2017 population estimates). The housing stock of 6 local authorities (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Scottish Borders) has been transferred to housing associations and so these areas do not build new local authority houses.

In the year to end June 2018 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Shetland, Glasgow, Orkney and East Lothian, whilst no new housing association houses were built in East Renfrewshire and Na h-Elieanan Siar.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in West Lothian, Fife, East Ayrshire and Midlothian. As well as the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above, East Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Clackmannanshire, Orkney and Shetland had no completions any in the year ending June 2018.

Latest data to end September 2018 – social sector

A total of 1,286 social sector homes were completed between July and September 2018, 22% more than the 1,055 completions in the same quarter in 2017. 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. The increase in the 12 months to end September 2018 is due to an increase in both Housing Association and Local Authority led completions, which increased by 35% (887 homes) and 8% (116 homes), respectively .

Meanwhile, 842 social sector homes were started between July and September 2018. This is a decrease of 4% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2018 to 6,584 which is a 13% increase (774 homes) on the 5,810 starts in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end September 2018 is due to a 59% (654 homes) increase in Local Authority starts and a 3% (120 homes) increase in Housing Association led approvals.

Map C: New build housing – Local Authority sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2018

Map D: New build housing – Housing Association completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2018