Housing Statistics for Scotland, Quarterly Update - November 2014

Key Points:

New build housing

All Sectors

• There were 4,583 new build homes completed between April and June 2014; 29% up on the same quarter in 2013 and 23% above the quarterly average since 2011. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 15,824, up 15% (2,033 homes) compared to the 13,791 completed in the previous year.
• There were 3,492 new build homes started between April and June 2014; 5% down on the 3,679 started in the same quarter in 2013 and slightly (1%) below the quarterly average since 2011. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 15,106 which is up by 13% (1,736 homes) compared to the 13,370 homes started in the previous year.

Private Sector

• Between April and June 2014, 3,676 private sector homes were completed; 44% above the quarterly average since 2011. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 11,879 - up by 23% (2,188 homes) on the 9,691 completions in the previous year.
• There were 3,026 private sector led starts between April and June 2014, 13% above the quarterly average since 2011 and the second highest number since April to June 2008. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 11,671, 16% (1,583 homes) higher than the 10,088 starts in the previous year.

Social Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined)

Social sector figures below are presented up to the end of June 2014 so as to be consistent with the reporting period used for figures on all-sector and private-led new builds. More up-to-date information (for July - September 2014) is available later in this report and through the web tables.

• There were 907 social housing completions between April and June 2014; 10% down on the same quarter in 2013. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 3,945. This is a decrease of 4% on the 4,100 completions the previous year.
• Meanwhile 466 social sector homes were started between April and June 2014; 47% down on the same quarter in 2013. This brings the total for the 12 months to end June 2014 to 3,435 which is 5% more than the 3,282 started in the previous year.

Housing Association Homes

• There were 659 housing association completions between April and June 2014; 7% down on the same quarter in 2013. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 2,864. This is a 7% (203 homes) decrease on the 3,067 completions the previous year.
• There were 197 housing association approvals between April and June 2014; 64% down on the same quarter in 2013. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 2,525. This is a 22% (460 homes) increase on the 2,065 approvals in the previous year.

Local Authority Homes

• There were 248 local authority completions between April and June 2014; 19% down on the same quarter in 2013. This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 1,081. This is a 5% (48 homes) increase on the 1,033 completions the previous year.
• There were 269 local authority starts between April and June 2014; 18% down on the same quarter in 2013 This brings the total for the year to end June 2014 to 910. This is a 25% (307 homes) decrease on the 1,217 starts in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Completions

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 build.

• The latest information, for the year to end September 2014, shows that approvals are up 12% on the previous 12 months to 7,107 while starts are up 53% on the previous 12 months at 7,094. Completions are running at 6,326 for the year to end September 2014, down 9% on the previous 12 months. This include an increase in affordable rent (up by 17% or 131 homes), and a decrease in social rent (down by 18% or 804 homes) whilst affordable home ownership completions have remained steady (up by 1% or 11 homes).

Right to Buy Applications and Sales

• Following the announcement of the end of Right to Buy in July 2013 the number of applications and the number of sales both increased compared to the same quarter the previous year. The most recent figures available are for April - June 2014. During this period there were 886 Right to Buy applications (26% higher than in the same quarter the previous year) and 335 sales (46% higher).