Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update (Published 15th March 2016)

New Build Housing - Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for around a quarter (22%) of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end September 2015. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of December 2015. However, to enable easier understanding of how each sector contributes to the all sector totals described previously above, figures are also presented for the same time period to end September (although quarterly charts include the latest quarter's data).

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

Chart 7a: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end September 2006 to 2015

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end December 2006 to 2015

Chart 8: Quarterly new build approvals and completions (Housing Associations) since 2005

Chart 9: Quarterly new build starts and completions (Local Authority), since 2005

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 September) since 2005, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end December (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 September) the number of housing association completions were around 3,700 to 4,000 each year before increasing to over 5,700 in 2009. Completions have then decreased each year, but increased slightly to around 2,800 in the year to end September 2015.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile increased from around 5,100 to 6,300 from 2005 to 2009 (years to end September), before falling to around 2,300 in 2011, and reimained steady until 2013. The number has since risen to around 2,600 in 2015.

Almost no local authority homes were built from 2006 to 2007 (years to end September). The number gradually increased from around 100 in 2008 to over 1,000 in 2012 and remained fairly steady since then. 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 September 2015.

Trends to end September 2015:

895 social sector homes were completed between July and September 2015 (700 housing association and 195 local authority). This is 23% more than the 725 completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2015 to 3,879 which is 10% more than the 3,540 completed in the previous year.

Meanwhile 829 social sector homes were started between July and September 2015 (288 housing association and 541 local authority). This is up by 18% compared to the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2015 to 4,024 which is 6% higher than the 3,779 started in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end September 2015:

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 September 2015. The housing stock of 6 local authorities (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Eilean Siar, Glasgow City, Inverclyde 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 September 2015 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Glasgow City, Argyll & Bute and East Dunbartonshire whilst no new housing association houses were built in East Ayrshire, Midlothian, Moray, The Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire and West Lothian.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in the Orkney Islands, East Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire. Beside the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above Aberdeen City, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, the Shetland Islands and South Lanarkshire built no new houses during the year.

Latest data to end December 2015:

A total of 804 social sector homes were completed between October and December 2015, 9% less than the 883 homes completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end December 2015 to 3,800, which is 13% more than the 3,353 completed in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end December 2015 is due to increases in both Housing Association and Local Authority led completions (14% and 11% increases respectively). See charts 8 and 9.

Meanwhile 1,102 social sector homes were started between October and December 2015. This is up by 30% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end December 2015 to 4,278 which is a 12% increase on the 3,811 starts in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end December 2015 is a result of Local Authority starts increasing (161 homes) and Housing Assocation approvals increasing (306 homes). See Charts 8 and 9.

Map C: New build housing - housing association sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end September 2015

Map D: New build housing - local authority sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end September 2015