Mixed picture reported in latest housing figures
A MIXED picture has been reported, when it comes to house-build completions and starts – according to the latest, quarterly figures released by the Scottish Government’s chief statistician.
While, on the one hand, there has been a high number of completions (albeit not everywhere) – including so-called ‘affordable homes’ – there has also been a decrease in house-build starts and ‘approvals’.
Says an announcement from the Scottish Government, here, some 23,346 ‘all-sector’ (private, local authority and housing association) homes were completed during the 12 months to the end of June this year – representing an increase of seven per cent (1,481 homes) on the 21,865 completions during the previous year and the highest annual figure to the end of June since 2008.
Increases were seen for private-led new-build completions (nine per cent or 1,342 homes) and housing association new-build completions (18 per cent or 728 homes), whilst local authority new-build completions dropped by 23 per cent or 589 homes.
However, the number of new-build homes started across all sectors decreased by 12 per cent (2,340 homes), with 17,425 starts in the year to the end of June this year, down from 19,765 starts during the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to the end of June since 2016.
Private sector-led new-build starts decreased by seven per cent (1,085 homes), housing association new-build starts dropped by 21 per cent (599 homes) and local authority new-build starts decreased by 32 per cent (656 homes).
Among other findings (using the Scottish Government announcement):
- Separate quarterly statistics on the Affordable Housing Supply programme show there were a total of 1,780 ‘affordable’ homes completed in the latest quarter, April to June this year. This brings the total number of ‘affordable’ homes completed in the 12 months to the end of June this year to 10,757, an increase of 12 per cent (1,188 homes) on the 9,569 homes completed in the previous year, and the highest annual year to date completions figure since the start of the series in 2000 (see here, for more);
- There were increases in the number of affordable homes completed for ‘social rent’ by eight per cent (604 homes), other ‘affordable rent’ by 46 per cent (500 homes), and ‘affordable home ownership’ by nine per cent (84 homes);
- Meanwhile, there were 643 ‘affordable’ homes approved in the latest quarter April to June 2023, which brings the total number of ‘affordable’ homes approved in the 12 months to the end of June this year to 6,042, a decrease of 22 per cent (1,724 homes) on the 7,766 homes approved in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to the end of June since 2013.
- There were decreases in the latest year to the end of June in the number of approvals for ‘social rent’ (by 24 per cent, or 1,449 homes) and for other ‘affordable rent’ (by 39 per cent, or 349 homes), whilst approvals for ‘affordable home ownership’ increased by nine per cent, or 74 homes);
- There were 1,118 ‘affordable’ homes started in the latest quarter April to June 2023, which brings the total number of ‘affordable’ homes started in the 12 months to the end of June this year to 7,124, a decrease of two per cent (180 homes) on the 7,304 started in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to the end of June since 2015; and
- There was a decrease in the latest year to the end of June in the number of starts for ‘social rent’ (by eight per cent, or 463 homes), whilst there were increases in starts for ‘affordable home ownership’ (by 14 per cent, or 113 homes) and for other ‘affordable rent’ (by 26 per cent, or 170 homes).
Adds the announcement: “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 per cent will be for social rent and ten per cent will be in remote, rural and island communities.
“There have been a total of 13,354 affordable homes completed between 23 March 2022 and 30 June 2023 towards the target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, consisting of 10,459 (78 per cent) homes for social rent, 1,706 (13 per cent) for other affordable rent, and 1,189 (nine per cent) for affordable home ownership.”
Picture credit: Place Design Scotland
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