This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Latest housing trends published
20/08/2002
Information on housing and households is published today
in the statistical bulletin "Housing Trends in Scotland:
Quarters Ending 31 December 2001 and 31 March 2002".
The bulletin includes quarterly information on public
sector house sales, new housebuilding, and local authority
lettings and evictions. It also contains annual information
on public sector stock and vacancy rates, special needs
housing, changes to local authority housing lists, Houses
in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), and private sector
improvements grants. This bulletin does not contain
information on homelessness, which will be published
separately in the Autumn.
Sales of Public Authority Dwellings
- There were 11,084
applications made by sitting tenants
to buy public authority dwellings during the period
October 2001 to March 2002. This represents an increase
of 2,409 (28%) on the number of applications during the
same period of 2000/2001. A total of 7,369 public
authority dwellings were
sold to sitting tenants during the
period October 2001 to March 2002, an increase of 478
(7%) on the same period in 2000/2001.
New House Building
- From October 2001 to March 2002 11,160 new
dwellings were
started, around 485 less (4%) than
during the same period in 2000/2001. During October
2001 to March 2002 there were 11,713
completions, an increase of just over
390 (around 3%) during the same period in
2000/2001.
Lettings and Evictions
- Local Authorities reported that 13,660 and 12,771
permanent lettings were made of local authority
dwellings during the quarters October-December 2001 and
January-March 2002 respectively, 325 (1%) less in total
than during the previous 6 months.
- During each quarter half of the lettings made were
to households from local authority housing lists, 28%
were made to existing tenants and a further 17% were
made to households that were presented to local
authorities as homeless.
- Local Authorities have reported that there were 299
and 301 evictions of local authority tenants during the
quarters October-December 2001 and January-March 2002
respectively, 47 (7%) less in total than during the
previous 6 month period.
- Of the evictions which occurred during these two
quarters, 8 and 10 respectively were as a result of
anti-social behaviour.
- Information on lettings and evictions has only
been collected for the last four quarters, and
therefore no comparisons with the same period a
year ago are available.
Housing Lists
- There were a total of 226,836 applicants on local
authority housing lists (including waiting and transfer
lists) at 31 March 2002, some 7000 more than at 31
March 2001. Of these, an estimated 156,300 were on
waiting lists.
Public Sector Stock
- There were 530,631 public sector dwellings at 31
March 2002, of which 20,746 were vacant
Special Needs Housing
- Local Authorities provided 18,824 'sheltered' and
273 'very sheltered' dwellings for the elderly at 31
March 2002, roughly 326 less 'sheltered' and 57 more
'very sheltered' dwellings than at 31 March 2001.
Houses in Multiple Occupation
- In the year ending 31 March 2002, just over 1,500
applications received in respect of the mandatory
licensing scheme for houses in multiple
occupation.
- There were 710 Licences in force on 31 March 2002,
55% (387) of which were for flats or houses let as a
whole, 12% (83) were for Bed-sits and 12% (84) were for
Students Halls of residence. The remaining 21% were for
landlords with lodgers, nurses homes, B&Bs, hotels,
guesthouses, hostels, sheltered accommodation, and NHS
and other employee residences.
Private Sector Improvements Grants
- £40.5 million was spent on all
private sector improvement grants that
received final or only payment during the financial
year 2001/2002. These grants benefited some 11,822
dwellings.
Copies of the statistical bulletin
Housing Trends in Scotland: Housing Trends in
Scotland: Quarters ending 31 December 2001 and 31 March
2002 (HSG/2002/3) are available from The
Stationery Office Bookshop, 21 South Gyle Road, Edinburgh
EH12 9EB, priced £2.