Housing statistics quarterly update: September 2017

New Build Housing - Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for just under a quarter (23%) of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end March 2017. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of June 2017. However, to enable easier understanding of how each sector contributes to the all sector totals described previously, figures are also presented for the same time period to end March (although quarterly charts include the latest quarter's data).

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

Chart 7a: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end March 2007 to 2017

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end June 2007 to 2017

Chart 8: Quarterly new build approvals and completions (Housing Associations) since 2006

Chart 9: Quarterly new build starts and completions (Local Authority), since 2006

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 March) since 2007, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end June (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 2007 and 2010 (years to end March) the number of housing association completions increased from just over 3,200 to just under 5,600. Completions then decreased to just over 2,300 in 2016, but have increased again in 2017 to over 2,700 completions.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile decreased from just under 5,800 to just over 1,600 from 2008 to 2013 (years to end March). The figures have since increased to just under 5,000 in the year ending March 2017.

Very few local authority homes were built in 2007 and 2008 (years to end March). The number gradually increased from around 340 in the year ending March 2009 to over 1,100 in the year ending March 2012, then dipped to just under 1,000 in 2013, before increasing and remaining fairly stable at over 1,100 in the years ending March 2014 to 2017. 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 March 2017.

Trends to end March 2017

There were 1,067 social housing completions between January and March 2017; 3% less than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end March 2017 to 3,891. This is a 13% increase on the 3,458 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 3,206 social sector homes were started between January and March 2017; 59% more than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end March 2017 to 6,340. This is a 40% increase on the 4,538 social sector starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end March 2017

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 March 2017. The housing stock of 6 local authorities (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Na h-Eileanan Siar 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 March 2017 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in the Orkney Islands, Argyll & Bute, Glasgow City, Shetland Islands, and South Ayrshire, whilst no new housing association houses were built in East Ayrshire or Inverclyde.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in East Lothian, West Lothian, and Fife. As well as the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above, Aberdeen City, Dundee City, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Renfrewshire, the Shetland Islands and West Dunbartonshire built no new homes in the year ending March 2017.

Latest data to end June 2017

A total of 819 social sector homes were completed between April and June 2017, 18% fewer than the 1,002 homes completed in the same period in 2016. This brings the total for the 12 months to end June 2017 to 3,708, which is 6% less than the 3,953 completed in the previous year. The decrease in the 12 months to end June 2017 is due to a decrease in Housing Association led completions, which decreased by 12%, whereas local authority led completions increased by 8%.

Meanwhile, 588 social sector homes were started between April and June 2017. This is down by 15% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end June 2017 to 6,234 which is a 32% increase (1,520 homes) on the 4,714 starts in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end June 2017 is due to Housing Association approvals increasing by 63% (1,942) homes whilst Local Authority starts decreased by 26% (422 homes) (see Charts 8 and 9).

Map C - New build housing - housing association sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end March 2017

Map D - New build housing - local authority sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end March 2017