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Publication - Statistics

Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) A Practitioners Guide (2026)

Published
3 July 2026
Directorate
Tackling Child Poverty and Social Justice Directorate
Topic
Building, planning and design, Housing
ISBN
9781807753399

Updated guidance for Housing Need and Demand Assessment, for Practitioners, (2026)

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Chapter 3: Housing Stock Profile, Pressures and Management

Section 1 - Introduction Chapter Aim

3.1 To profile the local housing stock and identifying stock pressures e.g. hard to let properties, stock in high demand. To identify those in existing housing need whose housing need can be met using an in-situ stock solution. Where relevant, this chapter should set out any distinct stock characteristics areas across different parts of the local authority, i.e. urban, town centres, rural and island. Care should be taken to include sufficient data and analysis of private sector stock.

3.2 With the exception of adapted housing (which is evidenced in Chapter 5 on Specialist Provision) this chapter should detail housing issues faced by existing tenants which would be addressed by managing the existing stock i.e. transfers, improving house condition, reducing overcrowding, making adaptations.

3.3 Note that if any of these issues would require an additional unit of housing and could not be addressed with an in-situ solution, this should be included in the estimate of existing housing need which is evidenced in Chapter 4 on estimating housing need and demand and inputted to the HNDA Tool.

3.4 At the end of this chapter there is a summary of how the evidence in this chapter will inform the LHS and the LDP.

3.5 The chapter should help authorities, and other housing providers, best meet the housing needs of residents in their area, through the management and use of existing stock.

Core Output 4

3.6 For robust and credible status HNDAs must satisfy all core outputs and processes, including Core Output 4:

Housing stock profile, pressures and management issues:

  • consider what existing stock is available to meet local housing needs and identify any under-supply or surplus of housing types.
  • show where existing housing stock is pressured and could be managed differently to meet housing needs.
  • describe the types and number of in-situ solutions used.
  • stock should be considered by size, type, condition, occupancy (overcrowding and under-occupancy), concealed households and turnover (re-lets and voids), tenure and location. Empty homes, second homes and short-term lets should also be included.
  • show the amount of home ownership in the area in the context of the various routes/ schemes into home ownership.
  • show the amount of affordable housing in the area by the different type of affordable housing.
  • uses time series where possible.

Section 2 – Content and Evidence

Contents

3.7 This chapter should profile the existing stock, stock pressures and in-situ/ management issues used/ applied for the following items:

Physical characteristics

  • size (by location, for each tenure)
  • type (detached, flat etc.) (by location, for each tenure)
  • condition/quality (BTS, SHQS etc.) (by location, for each tenure)

Stock Pressures

  • occupancy (over-crowding, under-occupation) (by location and social sector only)
  • turnover (re-lets and voids) (by location, social sector only)
  • existing housing need (local estimate) (social sector only)
  • empty homes (by location, social sector only)
  • second homes (by location, for each tenure)
  • short term lets (by location, for each tenure)
  • affordability (by location, for each tenure)

Stock Management

  • in-situ/ management solutions used/ applied (by location, social sector only)

3.8 The above should be considered at the level geography required to inform the LHS or LDP. Care should be taken to keep the length of this chapter to around twenty-five pages. Fuel poverty and energy efficiency should be evidenced in the LHS not the HNDA.

Steps for Drafting This Chapter

3.9 The following steps are suggested:

Step 1 - decide what evidence is required for the LHS and LDP and what geography is required.

Step 2 - identify data sources (see below) and triangulate any local data with national data for quality assurance.

Step 3 - tabulate or chart the data and describe any trends i.e. increase, decrease, no change.

Step 4 - use the information from step 3 to identify stock pressure e.g. by size, type, tenure and location of dwelling.

Step 5 - use the information from step 3 to identify existing housing need that needs to be addressed by providing additional units of housing (which will be inputted into the HNDA Tool).

Step 6 - consider what the future demographic profile of the area (using evidence from Chapter 2) may mean for what future stock is required, for example, housing for single households, housing for families, housing for an ageing population.

Step 7 - consider how the findings in this chapter will inform the LHS and LDP and do this using key issues table below.

Step 8 - agree the draft chapter with the HMP.

Data Sources

To note, where survey sample sizes are small, consider combining data for three or five years. This would be requested from the data provider.

Physical Stock Characteristics

(a) Dwelling Size

  • SHCS (All tenures)
  • 2022 Census (All tenures)
  • Local stock surveys
  • Housing management systems administrative data

(b) Dwelling Type

(c) Housing Tenure

(d) Dwelling Condition (SHQS & BTS)

Housing management systems administrative data. Please note that of the various factors that comprise SHQS, the most problematic elements only should be considered i.e. some definitions of disrepair relate to elements that can be repaired such as damp, broken windows, missing tiles and do not require a new unit of housing.

Housing Stock

(e) Occupancy (under-occupancy and over-crowding)

(f) Concealed Families

(g) Stock turnover (re-lets and voids)

Stock Management

(h) In-situ solutions e.g. transfers, adaptations, stock improvements or housing management solutions

Section 3 – Key Issues and Outputs

Key Issues

3.11 The key issues table below should be included at the end of the chapter.

LHS and LDP: Housing (condition) quality

Key Issues Identified in the HNDA:

1.

2.

3.

LHS and LDP: Housing stock pressures

Key Issues Identified in the HNDA:

1.

2.

3.

LHS and LDP: Size, type, tenure and location of future social housing supply

Key Issues Identified in the HNDA:

1.

2.

3.

LHS and LDP: Sustaining communities e.g. using tenure diversification/regeneration

Key Issues Identified in the HNDA:

1.

2.

3.

Outputs

3.11 At the end of this process authorities will have:

  • profiled the local housing stock by size, type, tenure, condition, occupancy, turnover and location, empty homes, second homes and short terms lets
  • identified which/ where stock is pressured (under-supplied) and which/where stock is in low demand including types of affordable housing
  • identified opportunities to manage existing stock differently to meet identified housing need (and include this in LHS, LDP key findings table)
  • suggested what kinds of new social stock (type, size, tenure, location) could be provided to reduce pressure and meet housing need (and include this in the LHS, LDP key findings table)
  • met the criteria of Core Output 4
  • feedback from the HMP to inform this chapter.

Contact

Email: chma@gov.scot

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