Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply (published 28 March 2023)

1. Main points

Note that the latest private-led and all-sector new housebuilding figures contain some estimates for a small number of authorities. Further details are provided in Section 7.

New Housebuilding

• The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland increased by 10% (2,023 homes) in the latest year to end September 2022 to 22,905 homes, up from 20,882 homes completed in the previous year to end September 2021, and the highest annual figure to end September since 2008.
• In the latest year to end September 2022, increases were seen across private-led new build completions (7% or 1,000 homes), local authority new build completions (42% or 840 homes), and housing association new build completions (5% or 183 homes).
• The number of all-sector new build homes started decreased by 12% (2,580 homes), with 19,227 starts in the year to end September 2022, down from 21,807 starts in the previous year, and 24% (6,047 homes) below the 25,283 homes started in the pre-pandemic year to end September 2019.
• In the latest year to end September 2022, private-led new build starts decreased by 11% (1,774 homes) and housing association new build approvals decreased by 27% (817 homes), while local authority new build starts increased slightly by 1% (11 homes).
• Separate figures published as part of the UK House Price Index show a total of 12,395 private new build sales transactions in Scotland in the year to end October 2022, up 11% (1,228 transactions) on the 11,167 transactions recorded in the year to end October 2021.
• Latest social sector new housebuilding figures to end December 2022 show an increase of 10% (600 homes) to 6,673 completions, which compares to 6,073 completions in the previous year. Starts however fell by 23% (1,175 homes) to 3,832, down from 5,007 starts in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply Programme

• Affordable Housing Supply Programme statistics reflect the broader supply of affordable homes for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership, and include off the shelf purchases and rehabilitations as well as new builds.
• The 2,566 affordable homes completed in the latest quarter October to December 2022 brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the 12 months to end December 2022 to 9,727 a slight increase of 1% (111 homes) on the 9,616 homes completed in the previous year. There was an increase of 18% or 1,254 homes in the number of completions for social rent, however other affordable rent completions decreased by 35% (538 homes), and affordable home ownership completions fell by 47% (605 homes).
• A total of 1,299 affordable homes were approved in the latest quarter October to December 2022, which brings the total number of affordable homes approved in the 12 months to end December 2022 to 6,554, a decrease of 22% (1,860 homes) on the 8,414 homes approved in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end December since 2013. There were decreases in the latest year in the number of approvals for social rent (by 21% or 1,352 homes), affordable rent (by 5% or 48 homes), and other affordable home ownership (by 41% or 460 homes).
• Meanwhile the 1,235 affordable homes started in the latest quarter October to December 2022 brings the total number of affordable homes started in the 12 months to end December 2022 to 7,502, a decrease of 24% (2,398 homes) on the 9,900 started in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end December since 2015. There were decreases in the latest year in the number of starts for social rent (by 19% or 1,382 homes), other affordable rent (by 33% or 446 homes), and affordable home ownership (by 46% or 570 homes).
• Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery targets, in which the ambition is to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in remote, rural and island communities.
• There have been a total of 7,493 completions so far against the 110,000 target, across the period 23 March 2022 to 31 December 2022, consisting of 6,172 (82%) homes for social rent, 764 (10%) for other affordable rent, and 557 (7%) for affordable home ownership.
• Figures on the remote, rural and island communities element of the target are planned to be reported on as part of future annual affordable housing supply out-turn reports, although we are considering whether it is feasible for these figures to be reported on a quarterly basis in addition to this.