Housing statistics: quarterly update, December 2017

Key Points

New Build Housing – All Sectors

There were 4,503 new build homes completed between April and June 2017; a 1% increase (49 homes) on the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 17,178, down 1% (186 homes) compared to the 17,364 completed in the previous year.

There were 4,560 new build homes started between April and June 2017, 10% more than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 19,598 which is up by 13% (2,188 homes) compared to the 17,410 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Private-led Housing

Between April and June 2017, 3,684 private sector led homes were completed; 7% more (232 homes) than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 13,470, which is 59 homes (0.4%) more than the 13,411 completions in the previous year.

There were 3,972 private sector led starts between April and June 2017, up 15% on the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year ending June 2017 to 13,364, which is 5% (668 homes) more than the 12,696 starts in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined)

There were 819 social housing completions between April and June 2017; 18% less than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 3,708. This is a 6% decrease on the 3,953 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 588 social sector homes were started between April and June 2017; 15% less than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 6,234. This is a 32% increase on the 4,714 social sector starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that, between July and September 2017, 725 social sector homes were completed (20% fewer than the 903 completions in the same quarter in 2016), and 935 were started (29% fewer than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2017 to 3,530 (a 9% decrease on the 3,871 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end September 2017 are now at 5,849 (14% more than the 5,142 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes

There were 462 housing association completions between April and June 2017, 38% less than the 746 completions in the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 2,464, a 12% (339 homes) decrease on the 2,803 completions over the previous year.

There were 426 housing association approvals between April and June 2017; 21% more than the 351 approvals in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end June 2017 to 5,020. This is an increase of 63% (1,942 homes) on the 3,078 approvals in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that a total of 386 Housing Association homes were completed between July and September 2017, 43% less completions than in the same period in the previous year (681 homes). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2017 to 2,169, which is a decrease of 19% on the 2,694 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 540 Housing Association homes were approved between July and September 2017, 34% less than the 817 approvals in the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end September 2017 to 4,743, a 33% increase on the 3,563 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes

There were 357 local authority completions between April and June 2017, which is 39% more than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year ending June 2017 to 1,244. This is a 8% (94 homes) increase on the 1,150 completions the previous year.

There were 162 local authority starts between April and June 2017; 53% lower than the number in the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for year ending June 2017 to 1,214. This is a 26% (422 homes) decrease on the 1,636 starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that, between July and September 2017, 339 local authority houses were completed (53% more homes than the same quarter in the previous year), and 395 were started (21% fewer homes than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the year to end September 2017 to 1,361, which is 16% more than the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end September 2017 now stands at 1,106 which is a decrease of 30% on the 1,579 local authority homes started in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply – up to end September 2017

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 builds.

The latest statistics for the year to end September 2017 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 6,795, down 1% (82 homes) on the previous year. This includes an increase in affordable rent completions (up by 7% or 59 homes), but decreases in social rent completions (down by 2% or 91 homes) and affordable home ownership completions (down by 3% or 50 homes).

There were 9,928 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end September 2017, up by 12% or 1,031 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in social rent approvals (up by 15% or 831 homes) and affordable rent approvals (up by 19% or 242 homes), but with a decrease in affordable home ownership approvals (down by 2% or 42 homes).

There were 9,287 affordable houses started in the year to end September 2017, up by 8% or 726 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in social rent starts (up by 5% or 304 homes) and affordable rent starts (up by 71% or 626 homes), but a decrease in affordable home ownership starts (down 10% or 204 homes).

Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform the Scottish Government target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 homes for social rent, over the period 2016/17 to 2020/21.

Local Authority Right to Buy Applications and Sales

The Right to Buy scheme closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016, therefore there have been no Right to Buy applications made during the last three quarters (October 2016 to June 2017). Throughout the final year of the scheme (the year to end September 2016) there were 9,060 applications made, more than double the 3,890 applications that were made in the previous year to end September 2015. This increase is likely to have been because this was the last chance for social housing tenants with an entitlement to exercise their Right to Buy before the scheme closed.

It can take a period of time for applications to be processed and for sales to be made, and therefore Right to Buy sales are still being recorded. In the latest available quarter, April to June 2017, there were 787 Right to Buy sales, 56% more than the 506 sales in the same quarter in the previous year, however this was 19% less than the 971 sales in the previous quarter, January to March 2017. This drop in sales compared to the previous quarter suggests that the recent increase in sales may have now peaked, and may begin to fall further in future quarters as the number of applications remaining in the system falls.

Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes

The total number of long term empty properties and second homes has increased in the latest year by 930 properties (2%) from 61,865 in September 2016 to 62,795 in September 2017. However the figure as at September 2017 is 3,258 homes (5%) lower than the 66,053 properties recorded as at September 2012.