Key Points

New Housebuilding

• The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland decreased by 6% (1,355 homes) in the latest year to end September 2023 to 21,952 homes, down from 23,307 homes.
• In the latest year to end September 2023, there were decreases in private-led new build completions (3% or 491 homes) and local authority new builds by 44% (or 1,241 homes) whilst housing association new build completions increased (9% or 377 homes).
• The number of all-sector new build homes started decreased by 24% (5,260 homes), with 16,274 starts in the year to end September 2023. This was down from 21,534 starts in the previous year to end September 2022, and the lowest annual figure to end September since 2014.
• In the latest year to end September 2023, there were decreases in new build starts across all sectors. Private-led new build starts decreased by 19% (3,017 homes), housing association new build starts decreased by 34% (1,099 homes) and local authority new build starts decreased by 50% (1,144 homes).

Affordable Housing Supply Programme

• 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 2,351 affordable homes completed in the latest quarter July to September 2023. This brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the 12 months to end September 2023 to 10,582, an increase of 9% (877 homes) on the 9,705 homes completed in the previous year. The latest total is the highest annual year to end September completions figure since the start of the series in 2000. There was a decrease in the number of affordable homes completed for social rent by 2% (196 homes) whilst increases in other affordable rent by 47% (481 homes), and affordable home ownership completions by 80% (592 homes).
• A total of 1,153 affordable homes were approved in the latest quarter July to September 2023, which brings the total number of affordable homes approved in the 12 months to end September 2023 to 6,178. This was a decrease of 14% (981 homes) on the 7,159 homes approved in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end September since 2013. There were decreases in the latest year to end September 2023 in the number of approvals for social rent (by 18%, or 985 homes) and for other affordable rent (by 37%, or 320 homes), although approvals for affordable home ownership increased by 46% (324 homes).
• There were 1,341 affordable homes started in the latest quarter July to September 2023, which brings the total number of affordable homes started in the 12 months to end September 2023 to 6,302. This was a decrease of 24% (1,996 homes) on the 8,298 started in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end September since 2015. There was a decrease in the latest year to end September 2023 in the number of starts for social rent (by 29%, or 1,947 homes) and other affordable rent (by 40% or 377 homes), although affordable home ownership increased (by 45% or 328 homes).
• These statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery targets. The 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. There has been a total of 15,765 affordable homes completed between 23 March 2022 and 30 September 2023 towards the target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, consisting of 12,188 (77%) homes for social rent, 1,917 (12%) for affordable rent, and 1,660 (11%) for affordable home ownership.

Long Term Empty and Second Homes

• According to data from council tax returns, there were 46,217 long-term empty properties as of September 2023, which is an increase of 4% (1,616 properties) from the 44,601 properties in 2022. Across the same time period the number of second homes has decreased by 1% (226 homes) from 24,287 to 24,061.