Housing statistics quarterly update: September 2019

Key Points

New Build Housing – All Sectors – up to end March 2019

There were 5,612 new build homes completed between January and March 2019; a 24% increase (1,092 homes) on the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 21,292, up 21% (3,669 homes) compared to the 17,623 completed in the previous year.

There were 6,759 new build homes started between January and March 2019, 9% more (566 homes) than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 22,764 which is up 16% (3,160 homes) compared to the 19,604 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Private-led Housing – up to end March 2019

Between January and March 2019, 3,438 private sector led homes were completed; 22% more (613 homes) than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 15,710 which is 21% more (2,679 homes) than the 13,031 completions in the previous year.

There were 3,922 private sector led starts between January and March 2019, 39% more (1,100 homes) than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year ending March 2019 to 16,045 which is 19% more (2,525 homes) than the 13,520 starts in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined) – up to end March 2019

There were 2,174 social sector completions between January and March 2019; 28% more than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 5,582. This is a 22% increase on the 4,592 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 2,837 social sector homes were started between January and March 2019; 16% less than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 6,719. This is a 10% increase on the 6,084 social sector starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2019

Between April and June 2019, 856 social sector homes were completed (19% less than the 1,060 completions in the same quarter in 2018), and 1,193 were started (5% more than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end June 2019 to 5,378 (a 13% increase on the 4,778 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end June 2019 are now at 6,776 (2% more than the 6,611 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes – up to end March 2019

There were 1,728 housing association completions between January and March 2019, 25% more than the 1,382 completions in the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 4,169, a 33% (1,041 homes) increase on the 3,128 completions over the previous year.

There were 2,319 housing association approvals between January and March 2019; 25% less than the 3,073 approvals in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 4,838. This is a 3% (128 homes) increase on the 4,710 approvals in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2019

A total of 410 Housing Association homes were completed between April and June 2019, 37% (242 homes) less completions than in the same period in the previous year. This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end June 2019 to 3,927 which is an increase of 20% on the 3,263 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 707 Housing Association homes were approved between April and June 2019, 15% more than the 613 approvals in the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end June 2019 to 4,932, a 1% increase on the 4,876 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes – up to end March 2019

There were 446 local authority completions between January and March 2019, which is a 42% increase (133 homes) than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for year ending March 2019 to 1,413. This is a 3% (51 homes) decrease on the 1,464 completions in the previous year.

There were 518 local authority starts between January and March 2019; 74% more than in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for year ending March 2019 to 1,881. This is a 37% (507 homes) increase on the 1,374 starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2019

Between April and June 2019, 446 local authority houses were completed (9% more than the same quarter in the previous year), and 486 were started (7% less than in the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the year to end June 2019 to 1,451, which is 4% less than the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end June 2019 now stands at 1,844 which is an increase of 6% on the 1,735 local authority homes started in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply – up to end June 2019

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 June 2019 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 9,128, up 7% (633 homes) on the previous year. This includes increases in social rent completions (up by 23% or 1,189 homes) and affordable rent completions (up by 21% or 187 homes), and a decrease in affordable home ownership completions (down 30% or 743 homes).

There were 10,844 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end June 2019, down by 9% or 1,088 homes compared to the previous year. This includes decreases in affordable rent approvals (down 55% or 1,403 homes) and affordable home ownership approvals (down 25% or 620 homes), with an increase in social rent approvals (up 14% or 935 homes).

There were 10,370 affordable houses started in the year to end June 2019, down 2% or 246 homes compared to the previous year. This includes decreases in affordable rent starts (down by 43% or 792 homes) and affordable home ownership starts (down by 10% or 237 homes), but an increase in social rent starts (up 12% or 783 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.