Housing statistics 2016: key trends summary

Local Authority Housing Stock

Local authority stock levels have been decreasing each year since the 1980s, although the rate of decrease has slowed in recent years. As at 31 ^st March 2016 there were 316,553 local authority units, down by 452 units (0.1%) from the previous year.

In line with the trends observed in the tenure chapter above, local authority stock levels have been decreasing each year since the 1980s. This can be attributed to 3 main factors:

• tenants buying their homes under right to buy
• transfers of stock from public authorities to Registered Social Landlords ( RSLs)
• a decline in the number of new local authority dwellings being built.

In general these factors have become less significant in recent years, and in fact the number of new local authority dwellings being built have shown some increases since 2008. As a result recent decreases in local authority stock levels have correspondingly been fairly small.

Local authority stock levels have decreased by 452 from the previous year to 316,553 units on 31 ^st March 2016. Figures for social sector stock at March 2016 showed that of the 594,600 units, 53% were owned by local authorities. This represents a substantial change since the mid-1990s when public authorities owned nearly 90% of the 783,000 units of social rented stock ^[3] . The increased contribution of Registered Social Landlords to the social rented sector is reflected in their rising stock levels since the late 1990s. Chart 8 below shows recent trends in the ownership of social rented housing stock.

Chart 8: Social sector housing stock: 31 March 19999 to 31 March 2016

Note that information on Housing Association stock at 2015 has not yet been published by the Scottish Housing Regulator. This information will be added in future editions of this publication

Link to tables on local authority housing stock:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/Stock