Housing statistics quarterly update: September 2018

Key Points

New Build Housing – All Sectors – up to end March 2018

There were 4,532 new build homes completed between January and March 2018; a 2% increase (108 homes) on the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 17,731, up 3% (438 homes) compared to the 17,293 completed in the previous year.

There were 6,146 new build homes started between January and March 2018, 2% less (104 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 19,595 which is down by 1% (129 homes) compared to the 19,724 homes started in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Private-led Housing – up to end March 2018

Between January and March 2018, 2,825 private sector led homes were completed; 16% fewer (532 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 13,102 which is 2% less (325 homes) than the 13,427 completions in the previous year.

There were 2,798 private sector led starts between January and March 2018, 8% less (246 homes) than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year ending March 2018 to 13,527 which is 1% more (119 homes) than the 13,408 starts in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local Authority combined) – up to end March 2018

There were 1,707 social sector completions between January and March 2018; 60% more than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 4,629. This is a 20% increase on the 3,866 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 3,348 social sector homes were started between January and March 2018; 4% more than the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 6,068. This is a 4% decrease on the 6,316 social sector starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2018

Between April and June 2018, 934 social sector homes were completed (7% more than the 875 completions in the same quarter in 2017), and 1,158 were started (90% more than the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end June 2018 to 4,688 (a 25% increase on the 3,764 social sector homes completed in the previous year). Total starts over the 12 months to end June 2018 are now at 6,617 (6% more than the 6,255 started in the previous year).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes – up to end March 2018

There were 1,382 housing association completions between January and March 2018, 87% more than the 741 completions in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 3,130, a 14% (382 homes) increase on the 2,748 completions over the previous year.

There were 3,073 housing association approvals between January and March 2018; 5% more than the 2,917 approvals in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the year to end March 2018 to 4,710. This is a 5% (235 homes) decrease on the 4,945 approvals in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2018

A total of 526 Housing Association homes were completed between April and June 2018, 2% (8 homes) more completions than in the same period in the previous year. This brings the total completions for the 12 months to end June 2018 to 3,138, which is an increase of 25% on the 2,520 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 563 Housing Association homes were approved between April and June 2018, 26% more than the 447 approvals in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total approvals for the 12 months to end June 2018 to 4,826, a 4% decrease on the 5,041 approvals in the previous year.

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes – up to end March 2018

There were 325 local authority completions between January and March 2018, which is 1 home less than the number that were completed in the same quarter in 2017. This brings the total for year ending March 2018 to 1,499. This is a 34% (381 homes) increase on the 1,118 completions in the previous year.

There were 275 local authority starts between January and March 2018; 5% fewer than in the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for year ending March 2018 to 1,358. This is a 1% (13 homes) decrease on the 1,371 starts in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures – up to end June 2018

Between April and June 2018, 408 local authority houses were completed (14% more than the same quarter in the previous year), and 595 were started (267% more than in the same quarter in the previous year). This brings the total completions for the year to end June 2018 to 1,550, which is 25% more than the previous year. Total starts for the 12 months to end June 2018 now stands at 1,791 which is an increase of 48% on the 1,214 local authority homes started in the previous year.

Affordable Housing Supply – up to end June 2018

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 statistics for the year to end June 2018 show that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 8,381, up 15% (1,122 homes) on the previous year. This includes increases in social rent completions (up by 14% or 616 homes) and affordable home ownership completions (up by 36% or 636 homes), and decreases in affordable rent completions (down 13% or 130 homes),

There were 11,926 affordable housing approvals over the year up to end June 2018, up by 12% or 1,252 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases affordable rent approvals ( up by 59% or 951 homes), and affordable home ownership approvals (up by 31% or 580 homes), with a decrease in social rent approvals (down by 4% or 279 homes).

There were 10,285 affordable houses started in the year to end June 2018, up by 3% or 346 homes compared to the previous year. This includes increases in affordable rent starts (up by 2% or 37 homes), and affordable home ownership starts (up by 26% or 457 homes), but decreases in social rent starts (down 2% or 148 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, and reflect the number of affordable homes delivered that have received some form of government support through loans, grant or guarantees.

Local Authority Right to Buy Sales – up to end March 2018

The Right to Buy scheme closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016, therefore there have been no Right to Buy applications made during the last 18 months (October 2016 to March 2018). Throughout the final year of the scheme (the year to end September 2016) there were 9,060 applications made, more than double the 3,890 applications that were made in the previous year to end September 2015. This increase is likely to have been because this was the last chance for social housing tenants with an entitlement to exercise their Right to Buy before the scheme closed.

It can take a period of time for applications to be processed and for sales to be made, and therefore Right to Buy sales are still being recorded. In the latest available quarter, January to March 2018, there were 75 Right to Buy sales and 142 Right to Buy applications still pending. It is expected that sales will continue to fall further in future quarters as the number of applications remaining in the system falls.