1. Main points

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

New Housebuilding

• The number of all-sector new build homes completed in Scotland increased by 9% (1,897 homes) in the latest year to end March 2023 to 23,512 homes, up from 21,615 homes completed in the previous year to end March 2022, and the highest annual figure to end March since 2008.
• In the latest year to end March 2023, increases were seen for private-led new build completions (10% or 1,491 homes) and housing association new build completions (30% or 1,164 homes), whilst local authority new build completions dropped by 28% or 758 homes.
• The number of all-sector new build homes started decreased by 2% (305 homes), with 19,204 starts in the year to end March 2023, down from 19,509 starts in the previous year, and 25% (6,382 homes) below the 25,586 homes started in the pre-pandemic year to end March 2020.
• In the latest year to end March 2023, private-led new build starts increased slightly by 1% (105 homes), whilst housing association new build approvals decreased by 11% (305 homes) and local authority new build starts decreased by 5% (105 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 3,631 affordable homes completed in the latest quarter January to March 2023 brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the 12 months to end March 2023 to 10,458, an increase of 7% (701 homes) on the 9,757 homes completed in the previous year, and the highest annual completions figure since the start of the series in 2000. There were increases in the number of affordable homes completed for social rent by 10% (767 homes) and other affordable rent by 20% (250 homes), however affordable home ownership completions decreased by 27% (316 homes).
• A total of 3,072 affordable homes were approved in the latest quarter January to March 2023, which brings the total number of affordable homes approved in the 12 months to end March 2023 to 6,396, a decrease of 18% (1,424 homes) on the 7,820 homes approved in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end March since 2015. There were decreases in the latest year in the number of approvals for social rent (by 15%, or 896 homes), other affordable rent (by 30%, or 278 homes), and affordable home ownership (by 25%, or 250 homes).
• Meanwhile the 2,539 affordable homes started in the latest quarter January to March 2023 brings the total number of affordable homes started in the 12 months to end March 2023 to 6,987, a decrease of 15% (1,240 homes) on the 8,227 started in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end March since 2015. There were decreases in the latest year in the number of starts for social rent (by 18%, or 1,132 homes) and affordable home ownership (by 27%, or 289 homes), whilst starts for other affordable rent increased by 25% or 181 homes.
• Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery targets, in which 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 have been a total of 11,570 completions so far against the 110,000 target, across the period 23 March 2022 to 31 March 2023, consisting of 9,121 (79%) homes for social rent, 1,548 (13%) for other affordable rent, and 901 (8%) for affordable home ownership.
• Figures on the remote, rural and island communities element of the target are planned to be reported on as part of future annual affordable housing supply out-turn reports, although we are considering whether it is feasible for these figures to also be reported on in this statistical publication.