Housing statistics 2018: key trends summary

Affordable Housing

(As previously reported on 12^th June 2018): In 2017-18, there were 8,534 units completed through all Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) activity, an increase of 1,198 units (16%) on the previous year. Approvals increased by 1,401 units (14%) in the latest year to reach 11,677 in 2017-18, and starts increased by 1,261 units (14%) to reach 10,569.

Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) activity represents the first two years in the target period to build 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 for social rent, over the 5 year period from 2016-17 to 2020-21. The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) funds housing for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership. The AHSP funds both new build activity and other activity to increase affordable housing supply, for example off the shelf purchases, open market shared equity (OMSE), rehabilitations and support provided to home owners through the Home Ownership Support Fund (mortgage to rent and mortgage to shared equity).

The AHSP completions statistics are used to inform the Scottish Government target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes between 2016-17 and 2020-21, and reflect the number of affordable homes delivered that have received some form of government support through loans, grant or guarantees.

The number of units provided through the AHSP programme are illustrated in the charts below. Approvals are measured when funding approval is granted for all dwellings on a site. Completions are recorded when all dwellings on a site are completed.

Chart 4 shows that in 2017-18 there were 8,534 units completed through all AHSP activity - this is up by 16% compared to the 7,336 completions in the previous year, and is the highest annual figure since the series began in 2000-01. The majority (62%) of these were new build houses, and the remaining 38% were off the shelf purchases or rehabilitations.

Chart 4: Units completed through affordable housing activity, 2000-01 to 2017-18

Chart 5 shows that in 2017-18, 11,677 units were approved through the AHSP, representing an increase of 14% from the previous year and is the highest annual figure since the series began in 2000-01. Of those, 74% were new build houses and 26% were off the shelf purchases or rehabilitations.

Chart 5: Units approved through affordable housing activity, 2000-01 to 2017-18

Since 2009-10, data on AHSP site starts has also been recorded. There were 10,569 starts in 2017-18 which was up 14% from 9,308 starts in 2016-17.

Over recent years it is estimated that it can take between 1 to 2 years from approval to completion of an entire new build AHSP site (of which the first 3 to 4 months would typically be the time period from approval to starting). Individual homes, or blocks of homes, might be completed in shorter timescales if parts of the site are completed in advance of the rest.

Link to tables on AHSP: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuild/AHSPtables

Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme out-turn reports: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip

Statistics on new house building in the other UK nations can be found through the following link to the Department for Communities and Local Government website: http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/housebuilding/livetables/