Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (published 1 Dec 2015)

New Build Housing - Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for around a quarter (24%) of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end June 2015. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of September 2015. However, to enable easier understanding of how each sector contributes to the all sector totals described previously above, figures are also presented for the same time period to end June (although quarterly charts include the latest quarter's data).

The more up-to-date figures for the social sector are presented later in this report.

Chart 7a: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end June 2016 to 2015

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end Sept 2006 to 2015

Chart 8: Quarterly new build approvals and completions (Housing Associations) since 2005

Chart 9: Quarterly new build starts and completions (Local Authority), since 2005

Trends over the last ten years:

Chart 7a shows the number of local authority and housing association homes started and completed each year (to end June) since 2005, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end September (the most recent information available). Charts 8 and 9 show quarterly figures for housing associations and local authorities respectively.

Social sector house building has not followed the same pattern as the private sector over time, as the number of homes being built did not suddenly drop in 2008 following the recession.

Between 2006 and 2008 (years to end June) the number of housing association completions were around 3,500 to 4,500 each year before increasing to over 5,000 in 2009. Completions have since fallen each year since 2011, dropping to around 2,500 in the year to end June 2015.

The number of approvals meanwhile increased from around 5,000 to 6,000 from 2005 to 2008 (years to end June), before falling to around 2,000 in 2013, before rising to around 2,500 in 2015.

Almost no local authority homes were built from 2006 to 2007 (years to end June). From that point on there has been an increase in the number being built, with over 1,000 local authority homes being completed each year from 2012 to 2015. Local Authority housing has accounted for 7% of the total amount of new build homes completed across all sectors in the 12 months to end June 2015.

Trends to end June 2015:

424 social sector homes were completed between April and June 2015 (180 housing association and 244 local authority). This is less than half of the 936 completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end June 2015 to 3,709 which is 7% less than the 3,974 completed in the previous year.

Meanwhile 520 social sector homes were started between April and June 2015 (179 housing association and 341 local authority). This is down by 3% compared to the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end June 2015 to 3,897 which is 11% higher than the 3,513 started in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end June 2015:

Maps C and D show the rates of housing association and local authority new build completions in each local authority for the year to end June 2015. The housing stock of 6 local authorities (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Eilean Siar, Glasgow City, Inverclyde and Scottish Borders) has been transferred to housing associations and so these areas do not build new local authority houses.

In the year to end June 2015 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Glasgow City, Shetland Islands and Argyll & Bute whilst no new housing association houses were built in Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, Moray, Renfrweshire and South Ayrshire.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in the Orkney Islands, Highland, and East Ayrshire. Beside the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Dundee City, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire built no new houses during the year.

Latest data to end September 2015:

A total of 895 social sector homes were completed between July and September 2015, 23% more than the 725 homes completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2015 to 3,879, which is 10% more than the 3,540 completed in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end September 2015 is due to increases in both Housing Association and Local Authority led completions (10% and 7% increases respectively). See charts 8 and 9.

Meanwhile 508 social sector homes were started between July and September 2015. This is down by 27% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2015 to 3,703 which is a 2% decrease on the 3,779 starts in the previous year. The decrease in the 12 months to end September 2015 is a result of Local Authority starts increasing (49 homes) and Housing Assocation approvals increasing (29 homes). See Charts 8 and 9.

Map C: New build housing - housing associations sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2015

Map D: New build housing - local authority sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2015