Housing statistics quarterly update: December 2019

New Build Housing – Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for a quarter of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end June 2019. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of September 2019. 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 June (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: Annual Housing Association starts and completions have been at higher levels than Local Authority starts and completions in each year since 2007, with some varying trends across this period (years to end June)

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions figures for years to end September show a broadly similar trend to the figures for year to end June

Chart 8: Quarterly Housing Association new build approvals show some quarterly volatility, with Q1 (Jan to Mar) typically seeing the highest numbers in each year

Chart 9: Quarterly Local Authority new build starts and completions also show some quarterly volatility, but with less clear annual seasonality patterns

Trends since 2007 – social sector

Chart 7a shows the number of local authority and housing association homes started and completed each year (to end June) since 2007, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end September (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 2009 (years to end June) the number of housing association completions increased from just under 3,500 to just over 5,400. Completions then decreased each year, apart from 2011, to just under 2,700 in 2015, before increasing to just over 2,800 in 2016. Completions then decreased in the following year to just over 2,500 in 2017. In the last two years, completions have increased to just under 4,000 in 2019.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile decreased from just over 6,000 in 2008 to just over 2,000 in 2013 (years to end June). The figures then increased overall and are at just over 4,900 in 2019.

The number of local authority homes built has gradually increased from just 26 homes in 2008 up to just over 1,200 in 2012 (years to end June). Completions were then broadly flat until 2017, but have since increased to just over 1,400 in 2019. 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 June 2019.

Trends to end June 2019 – social sector

There were 856 social sector completions between April and June 2019; 19% less than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 5,378. This is a 13% increase on the 4,778 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 1,193 social sector homes were started between April and June 2019; 5% more than the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total for the year to end March 2019 to 6,776. This is a 2% increase on the 6,611 social sector starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end June 2019 – social sector

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 June 2019 per 10,000 of the population (based on the latest mid-2018 population estimates). 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 June 2019 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Scottish Borders, Glasgow City, Orkney Islands and Na h-Eiliean Siar, whilst the lowest rates of housing association new build were in East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, East Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in West Lothian, Perth & Kinross, Moray, Edinburgh and Highland. As well as the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, EAST Dunbartonshire, Clackmannanshire, Shetland , Orkney Islands, Renfrewshire and Midlothian built no new homes in the year ending June 2019. 

Latest data to end September 2019 – social sector

A total of 1,317 social sector homes were completed between July and September 2019, 2% less than the 1,346 completions in the same quarter in 2018. This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end September 2019 to 5,349 a 6% increase on the 5,070 social sector homes completed in the previous year. 

Meanwhile, 1,342 social sector homes were started between July and September 2019. This is up 39% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end September 2019 to 7,154 which is a 7% increase (447 homes) on the 6,707 starts in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end September 2019 is due to a 22% (377 homes) increase in Local Authority starts and a 1% (70 homes) increase in Housing Association led approvals.

Map C: New build housing - Local Authority Sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2019

Map D: New build housing - Housing Association Sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end June 2019