Housing statistics: quarterly update, December 2016

Key Points

New Build Housing - All Sectors

There were 3,973 new build homes completed between April and June 2016; a 4% increase on the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 15,991, up 4% (591 homes) compared to the 15,400 completed in the previous year.

There were 3,968 new build homes started between April and June 2016; 13% fewer than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 16,450 which is down by 4% (681 homes) compared to the 17,131 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing - Private-led Housing

Between April and June 2016, 3,078 private sector led homes were completed; down 7% on the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 12,145, which is 5% (537 homes) higher than the 11,608 completions in the previous year.

There were 3,348 private sector led starts between April and June 2016, 17% down on the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year ending June 2016 to 11,810, which is 11% (1,433 homes) less than the 13,243 starts in the previous year.

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

There were 895 social housing completions between April and June 2016; 77% more than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 3,846. This is a 1% increase on the 3,792 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 620 social sector homes were started between April and June 2016; 20% higher than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 4,640. This is a 19% increase on the 3,888 social sector starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that, in July to September 2016, 832 social sector homes were completed (153 fewer than the 985 completions in the same quarter in 2015), and 1,282 were started (44% more than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2016 to 3,693 (a 9% decrease on the 4,052 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end September 2016 are now at 5,030 (23% more than the 4,089 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing - Housing Association Homes

There were 639 housing association completions between April and June 2016, more than double the 263 completions in the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 2,696, a 2% (46 homes) increase on the 2,650 completions over the previous year.

There were 277 housing association approvals between April and June 2016; 55% more than the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end June 2016 to 3,004. This is an increase of 16% (418 homes) on the 2,586 approvals in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that a total of 610 Housing Association homes were completed between July and September 2016, 23% fewer completions than in the same period in the previous year (790 homes). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2016 to 2,516, which is a decrease of 16% on the 3,001 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 803 Housing Association homes were approved between July and September 2016, more than double the 332 approvals in the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end September 2016 to 3,475, a 33% increase on the 2,618 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing - Local Authority Homes

There were 256 local authority completions between April and June 2016, which is 5% more than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year ending June 2016 to 1,150. This is a 1% (8 homes) increase on the 1,142 completions the previous year.

There were 343 local authority starts between April and June 2016; 1% higher than the number in the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for year ending June 2016 to 1,636. This is a 26% (334 homes) increase on the 1,302 starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that, between July and September 2016, 222 local authority houses were completed (27 more homes than the same quarter in the previous year), and 479 were started (81 fewer homes than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the year to end September 2016 to 1,177, which is 12% higher than the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end September 2016 now stands at 1,555 which is an increase of 6% on the 1,471 local authority homes completed in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply - up to end September 2016

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 quarterly statistics for the year to end September 2016 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 6,624, down 7% (484 homes) on the previous year. This includes decreases in social rent completions (down by 10% or 433 homes) and affordable rent completions (down by 14% or 142 homes), along with an increase in affordable home ownership completions (up by 5% or 91 homes).

There were 8,786 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end September 2016, up by 34% or 2,250 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in social rent approvals (up by 29% or 1,279 homes), affordable rent approvals (up by 38% or 349 homes), and affordable home ownership approvals (up 48% or 622 homes).

There were 8,192 new affordable houses started in the year to end September 2016, up by 35% or 2,110 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in social rent starts (up by 40% or 1,543 homes) and affordable home ownership starts (up by 46% or 605 homes), and a decrease in affordable rent starts (down by 4% or 38 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. The most recent figures available for applications and sales are for April to June 2016. During this period there were 2,961 Right to Buy applications (more than double the 1,099 applications in the same quarter in the previous year) and 505 sales (58% higher than in the same quarter in the previous year).

Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes

The total number of long term empty properties and second homes has decreased by 1,871 properties (3%) from 63,736 in September 2015 to 61,865 in September 2016.