Social sector new housebuilding

The social sector housing (local authority and housing association units combined) accounted for just over a quarter (5,756) of all new build homes completed in 2023 (ending December). Social sector completions in 2023 were down 18% (1,252 homes) from 2022. There were 3,265 starts in the social sector in 2023, down 35% (1,751 homes) from the year before.

Chart 3 shows the number of local authority and housing association homes started and completed each year. There were 1,697 local authority led completions and 1,192 starts in 2023. There were 4,059 housing association led completions and 2,073 starts in 2023.

There were annual decreases between 2022 and 2023 reported for building starts and completions for housing associations and local authorities. Housing association completions decreased by 12% (534 homes) and local authority completions decreased by 30% (718 homes). Local authority led starts decreased (49% decrease; 1,152 homes) as well as housing association starts (22% decrease, 599 homes).

Chart 3: Housing association starts in 2023 were at the lowest number since 1988. Local authority starts in 2023 were at the lowest number since 2013.

Maps C and D below show the rates of housing association and local authority new build completions in each local authority area for the year to end December 2023 per 10,000 of the population.

In the year to end December 2023 local authority sector new build rates were highest in East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Highland, Midlothian, Moray, and North Ayrshire, and with all having rates of over 5 homes per 10,000 population.

Note that 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. As well as the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Orkney, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire built no new local authority sector homes in the year ending December 2023.

Meanwhile rates of housing association new build completions were highest in Argyll & Bute, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Na h-Eileanan Siar, North Ayrshire and the Shetland Islands all having rates of over 12 homes per 10,000 population.

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Moray, South Lanarkshire and Stirling all had a rate less than 4 housing association homes per 10,000 population.

Map C: New build housing – Local Authority Sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2023.

Map D: New build housing – Housing Association Sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2023.

The latest quarterly data and comparison to the corresponding quarter in the previous year are shown in the ‘Quarterly Comparisons’ section. Timeseries data along with local authority breakdowns are contained in the supporting Excel tables.