SCOTLAND has seen the highest annual figure of new build homes being completed since 2008.
There were 23,346 all-sector properties completed in the country in the year to end June 2023, compared to the 21,865 in the previous year – representing a 7% increase.
Increases were seen for private-led new build completions (9% or 1,342 homes) and housing association new build completions (18% or 728 homes), whilst local authority new build completions dropped by 23% or 589 homes.
Meanwhile, the number of new build homes started across all sectors decreased by 12% (2,340 homes), with 17,425 starts in the year to end June 2023 – down from 19,765 starts in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end June since 2016.
Private-led new build starts decreased by 7% (1,085 homes), housing association new build starts dropped by 21% (599 homes), and local authority new build starts decreased by 32% (656 homes).
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 2023. This brings the total number of affordable homes completed in the 12 months to end June 2023 to 10,757, an increase of 12% (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.
There were increases in the number of affordable homes completed for social rent by 8% (604 homes), other affordable rent by 46% (500 homes), and affordable home ownership by 9% (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 end June 2023 to 6,042, a decrease of 22% (1,724 homes) on the 7,766 homes approved in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end June since 2013. There were decreases in the latest year to end June in the number of approvals for social rent (by 24%, or 1,449 homes) and for other affordable rent (by 39%, or 349 homes), whilst approvals for affordable home ownership increased by 9%, 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 end June 2023 to 7,124, a decrease of 2% (180 homes) on the 7,304 started in the previous year, and the lowest annual figure to end June since 2015. There was a decrease in the latest year to end June in the number of starts for social rent (by 8%, or 463 homes), whilst there were increases in starts for affordable home ownership (by 14%, or 113 homes) and for other affordable rent (by 26%, or 170 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 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%) homes for social rent, 1,706 (13%) for other affordable rent, and 1,189 (9%) for affordable home ownership.
