Housing statistics for Scotland quarterly update: June 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 (24%) of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end December 2016. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of March 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 December (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 December 2006 to 2016

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completion, years to end March 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 December) since 2006, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end March (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 December) the number of housing association completions were around 3,900 to 4,100 each year before increasing to over 5,800 in 2009. Completions then decreased to just under 2,400 in 2014, with a slight peak in 2015 until 2016 where there were 2,700 completions.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile increased from just under 5,000 to 6,500 from 2006 to 2009 (years to end December), before falling to around 2,200 in 2011. The figures have since increased to just over 3,600 in the year ending December 2016.

Very few local authority homes were built in 2006 and 2007 (years to end December). The number gradually increased from around 480 in the year ending December 2009 to over 1,200 in the year ending December 2013, then dipped to just under 1,000 in 2014, before increasing to 1,200 in the year ending December 2016. 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 December 2016.

Trends to end December 2016

There were 919 social housing completions between October and December 2016; 6% more than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end December 2016 to 3,922. This is a 3% decrease on the 4,037 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 1,120 social sector homes were started between October and December 2016; 5 more than the same quarter in 2015. This brings the total for the year to end December 2016 to 5,147. This is a 18% increase on the 4,356 social sector starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end December 2016

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 December 2016. 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 December 2016 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Argyll & Bute, Glasgow City, South Ayrshire, and Dundee City whilst no new housing association houses were built in East Ayrshire.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in the Orkney Islands, South Ayrshire, Clackmannanshire, and Moray. 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 December 2016.

Latest data to end March 2016

A total of 1,009 social sector homes were completed between January and March 2017, 8% fewer than the 1,098 homes completed in the same period in 2016. This brings the total for the 12 months to end March 2017 to 3,833, which is 11% more than the 3,458 completed in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end March 2017 is due to an increase in Housing Association led completions, which increased by 18%, whereas local authority led completions decreased by 5%.

Meanwhile, 3,198 social sector homes were started between January and March 2017. This is up by 59% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end March 2017 to 6,332 which is a 40% increase (1,794 homes) on the 4,538 starts in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end March 2017 is due to Housing Association approvals increasing by 70% (2,039) homes whilst Local Authority starts decreased by 15% (245 homes) (see Charts 8 and 9).

Map C: New build housing - housing association sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2016

Map D: New build housing - local authority sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2016