Housing Statistics For Scotland Quarterly Update (Published 14th June 2022)

1. Main points

Note that the latest private-led and all-sector new housebuilding figures contain some estimates for a small number of authorities. Further details are provided in Section 7.

• The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland increased by 26% (4,174 homes) in the latest year to end September 2021 to 20,056 homes, compared to 15,882 homes completed in the previous year to end September 2020, in which activity levels were impacted by COVID-19 lockdown measures. Despite this increase, the latest annual figure is 9% (1,963 homes) below the 22,019 homes completed in the pre-pandemic year to end September 2019.
• In the latest year to end September 2021, increases were seen across private-led completions (25% or 2,894 homes), local authority completions (77% or 865 homes), and housing association completions (13% or 415 homes).
• The number of new build homes started across all sectors also increased in the year to end September 2021, with 21,666 starts, up 13% (2,476 homes) on the 19,190 starts in the previous year. Despite this increase, the latest annual figure is 14% (3,522 homes) below the 25,188 homes completed in the pre-pandemic year to end September 2019.
• In the latest year to end September 2021, increases were seen across private-led starts (37% or 4,478 homes) and local authority starts (31% or 450 homes), whilst housing association approvals fell by 44% or 2,452 homes).
• More up-to-date figures published as part of the UK House Price Index show a total of 11,663 private new build sales transactions in Scotland in the 12 months to end January 2022. This is an increase of 38% (3,202 transactions) on the 8,461 transactions recorded in the previous year to end January 2021.
• Latest social sector new housebuilding figures to end December 2021 show an increase of 42% (1,785 homes) to 6,025 completions in the year to end December 2021, which compares to 4,240 completions in the previous year. Starts however fell by 17% (1,013 homes) to 5,007 in the year to end December 2021, down from 6,020 starts in the previous year.
• Affordable Housing Supply Programme statistics reflect the broader supply of affordable homes for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership, and include off the shelf purchases and rehabilitations as well as new builds.
• The 3,346 affordable homes completed in the latest quarter January to March 2022 brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the 12 months to end March 2022 to 9,757, an increase of 51% (3,279 homes) on the 6,478 homes completed in the previous year, and the highest financial year figure recorded since the start of the series in 2000-01. There were increases in the number of completions for social rent (by 56% or 2,608 homes), affordable rent (by 40% or 368 homes) and affordable home ownership (by 35% or 303 homes).
• A total of 3,232 affordable homes were approved in the latest quarter January to March 2022, which brings the total number of affordable homes approved in the 12 months to end March 2022 to 7,821, a slight decrease of 1% (63 homes) on the 7,884 homes approved in the previous year. There were increases in the number of approvals for affordable rent (by 6% or 56 homes) and affordable home ownership (by 19% or 164 homes), whilst approvals for social rent fell by 5% or 283 homes).
• Meanwhile the 3,160 affordable homes started in the latest quarter January to March 2022 brings the total number of affordable homes started in the 12 months to end March 2022 to 8,253, a decrease of 19% (1,897 homes) on the 10,150 homes started in the previous year. There was a rise of 16% (144 homes) in the number starts for affordable home ownership, whilst starts for social rent fell by 17% or 1,342 homes, and starts for affordable rent decreased by 49% or 699 homes.
• Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery targets. The latest quarterly figure of 3,346 affordable homes completed in January to March 2022 shows that the 50,000 affordable housing supply target was met by the end of March 2022, with a total of 51,119 homes completed between April 2016 and end March 2022.
• Of the 50,000 affordable homes completed between 1 April 2016 and 23 March 2022, 34,405 homes (69%) were for social rent, 6,245 (12%) were for affordable rent, and 9,350 (19%) were for affordable home ownership.
• Now that the 50,000 affordable homes target has been met, the longer term ambition is to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be for social rent and 10% will be in remote, rural and island communities. The latest statistics show that from 24 March 2022 up to 31 March 2022, a total of 1,119 affordable homes (1,057 homes for social rent, 16 for affordable rent, and 46 for affordable home ownership) have been completed against the new 110,000 target.