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Scotland Housing Update September 2015


Safeguarding Scotland's social housing
 First Minister for Scotland Hon Nicola Sturgeon MP




Key Points

New Build Housing – All Sectors:
There were 4,058 new build homes completed between January and March

2015; 22% up on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 16,281, up 9% (1,391 homes) compared to the 14,890 completed in the previous year.

There were 4,696 new build homes started between January and March 2015; 13% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 16,028 which is up by 3% (451 homes) compared
to the 15,557 homes started in the previous year.
New Build Housing – Private-led Housing:




Between January and March 2015, 2,381 private sector led homes were completed; 6% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 12,060 – up by 11% (1,221 homes) on the
10,839 completions in the previous year.

 There were 2,924 private sector led starts between January and March 2015, 21% down on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 12,186, 4% (452 homes) higher than the 11,734
starts in the previous year.



New Build Housing – Social Sector Housing (Housing Association and Local

Authority combined):
There were 1,677 social housing completions between January and March 2015; more than double compared with the same quarter in 2014. This bringsthe total for the year to end March 2015 to 4,221. This is an increase of 4% onthe 4,051 completions the previous year.

Meanwhile 1,756 social sector homes were started between January and March 2015; 2% up on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the 12 months to end March 2015 to 3,842 which is almost the same as the 3,843
started in the previous year.

More up-to-date figures show that, in April to June 2015, 424 social sector homes were completed (55% less than the 936 completions in the same quarter in 2014), and 419 were started (down by 22% on the same quarter in
2014).

New Build Housing – Housing Association Homes:
There were 1,334 housing association completions between January and March 2015; more than double compared with the same quarter in 2014. 
This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 3,064. This is a 5% (153 homes) increase on the 2,911 completions the previous year


 There were 1,597 housing association approvals between January and March 2015; 4% up on the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 2,634. This is a decrease of 8% (241 homes) on
the 2,875 approvals in the previous year.

 More up-to-date figures show that a total of 180 Housing Association homes were completed between April to June 2015, a 73% decrease on the 677 homes completed in the same period in 2014. This brings the total for the 12
months to end June 2015 to 2,567, which is a decrease of 11% decrease on the 2,882 homes completed in the previous year. A total of 179 Housing Association homes were approved between April to June 2015 (down by 21%
on the same quarter in 2014). 

New Build Housing – Local Authority Homes:

 There were 343 local authority completions between January and March
2015; more than double compared with the same quarter in 2014. This brings
the total for the year to end March 2015 to 1,157. This is a 1% (17 homes)
increase on the 1,140 completions the previous year.

 There were 159 local authority starts between January and March 2015;
12% lower than the number in the same quarter in 2014. This brings the total
for the year to end March 2015 to 1,192. This is a 23% (224 homes) increase on the 968 starts in the previous year.

 More up-to-date figures show that, in April to June 2015, 244 local authority
houses were completed (a 6% decrease on the same quarter in 2014), and 240 were started (down by 22% on the same quarter in 2014)

Affordable Housing Supply:
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 build.

 The latest information for the year to end June 2015 shows that affordable housing supply completions have totalled 6,678 for the financial year, down 3% on the previous year. This includes an increase in affordable (mid-market) rent completions (up by 15% or 127 homes), as well as decreases for affordable home ownership (down by 3% or 55 homes) and social rent completions (down by 7% or 292 homes). 

Total starts are down 5% on the previous year to 6,321, while approvals are down 10% on the previous year to
6,366. 

Right to Buy Applications and Sales:

 Following the announcement of the end of Right to Buy in July 2013 the number of applications and the number of sales both increased. The most recent figures available are for January to March 2015. 

During this period there were 1,007 Right to Buy applications (30% higher than in the same quarter the previous year, and 50% higher than in the same quarter in 2013) and 377 sales (11% lower than in the same quarter in the previous year, but 53% higher than in the same quarter in 2013).

Trends over the last ten years:
Between 2005/06 and 2007/08 the number of homes started and completed both
remained fairly steady at around 20,000-23,000 each year. The private sector was
hit particularly hard by the recession. The number of homes started and completed dropped throughout 2008/09 and 2009/10 to about 10,000 a year from 2011/12
onwards, although there have been annual increases in 2013/14 and 2014/15 to reach a level of around 12,000 homes in 2014/15.10 In September 2013 the Scottish Government introduced the Help to Buy (Scotland)
scheme which has aimed to support buyers purchasing a new build home and to stimulate the house building industry. Further information on the scheme, along
with monitoring information setting out numbers of sales, is available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/BuyingSelling/help-tobuy/MonthlyStats

Trends to end March 2015:

Between January and March 2015 a total of 2,381 new private sector homes were
completed. This is 6% lower than the number completed in the same quarter in
2014 (see Chart 6 above).

This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 12,060 completions – up by
11% (1,221 homes) on the 10,839 completions in the previous year.
Meanwhile there were 2,924 private sector starts between January and March 2015
– down by 21% on the same quarter in 2014.
This brings the total for the year to end March 2015 to 12,186 starts – up by 4%
(452 homes) on the 11,734 starts in the previous year.
Sub-national figures for the year to end December 2014:
Map B shows the rates per 10,000 head of population of private sector led new
build completions in each local authority for the year to end December 2014.
The highest completion rates have been in Midlothian and Aberdeenshire. The

lowest rates meanwhile have been in Dundee City and South Ayrshire.

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