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Public authority housing
Public authority stock levels have been decreasing each year since the 1980s. This is mainly due to tenants buying their homes under right to buy coupled with a decline in the number of new public authority dwellings being built, as well as community ownership programmes whereby a public authority transfers either all or part of its housing stock and management function to registered social landlords ( RSLs).
The New Towns established during the 40s, 50s and 60s were wound up in the mid 90s, with most of the stock being transferred to other public authorities. Between 1990 and 2005, Scottish Homes transferred about 75,000 units previously owned by the Scottish Special Housing Association to housing associations and co-operatives.
During 2003, three councils transferred their stock to RSLs (Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Scottish Borders). While the decrease in housing stock had been running at 3%-4% per year since the late 1990s, primarily due to right to buy sales, the transfers resulted in the loss of over 20% of the total stock. Argyll & Bute and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar transferred their stock in late 2006, and Inverclyde transferred its stock in December 2007. Together, these resulted in the loss of a further 4% of stock.
Current figures for social sector stock as at March 2008 show that of the 599,000 units, 55% is owned by public authorities. This is a decrease of 2 percentage points on the previous year, and represents a substantial change since the mid 1990s when public authorities owned nearly 90% of the 777,000 units of social rented stock. The increased contribution of registered social landlords to the social rented sector is reflected in their rising stock levels since the late 1990s. Chart 8 below shows recent trends in the ownership of social rented housing stock.
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