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Local authority lettings
Mirroring the falling stock levels, the number of local authority lettings has decreased each year since the early 2000s (Chart 11). During 2007-08 there were about 27,000 permanent lettings made, a decrease of nearly 10% compared to the previous year. Around a third of this decrease can be attributed to stock transfer in Argyll & Bute and Eilean Siar towards the end of 2006, and Inverclyde in December 2007.
The proportion of lets allocated to homeless applicants is a key indicator in measuring local authorities' capacity to respond to changes in homelessness legislation in relation to removing the distinction between priority and non-priority need in 2012. Over the past few years, although the number of local authority lets to homeless households has remained fairly constant, the proportions have increased, with the latest figures for 2007-08 confirming the observed upward trend. In 2007-08, 39% of all local authority lettings were to homeless households, compared to 34% for 2006-07. This represents a substantial increase compared to the situation a decade ago (12% in 1996-97). In fact, lets to homeless households currently represent almost half of local authority lettings to new tenants (49% in 2007-08) (Chart 12).
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