Number of new build homes completed in Scotland up by 4%

There was a 4% rise in the number of new build homes completed in Scotland in the 12 months to September 2018, the latest official figures to be published show.

Overall, some 18,750 new build homes were completed across all sectors, according to the over the year ending September 2018, according to the quarterly data from Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

A breakdown of the figures shows that housing association completions increased by 35%, and local authority completions were up by 8%. But private-led completions fell by 3%.

Meanwhile, the latest statistics for the 12 months to the end of December 2018 show that affordable housing supply completions were up 20% and approvals increased by 22%.

However, the number of affordable home starts fell by 13% over 2018 with affordable rent starts down by 39% and social rent starts down by 11%. But there was a 3% increase in affordable home ownership starts.

Quarterly affordable housing supply statistics are used to inform the Scottish Government target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 homes for social rent, over the period 2016/2017 to 2020/2021, and reflect the number of affordable homes delivered that have received some form of Government support through loans, grant or guarantees.

However, industry body Homes for Scotland warned that housing delivery must increase across all tenures if Scotland’s housing crisis is to be addressed. Chief executive Nicola Barclay pointed out that while the country is little closer to the 25,000 a year level achieved before the global financial more homes need to be built.

‘Whilst the Scottish Government’s policy and investment focus on social housing has seen a welcome upturn in the delivery of those homes, support is required for all tenures and must be sustained in the longer term. Scotland’s policy and decision makers must look holistically at where the much-needed growth in housing delivery can come from,’ she said.

‘Signs elsewhere suggest real housing delivery increases can be achieved, with year on year percentage growth in the number of new homes in England far outstripping that in Scotland. Concerted effort is therefore needed, from the Scottish Government and Scotland’s local authorities, to engender positive support for home building of all types in policy, opinion and practice,’ she added.