Housing Revenue Account (HRA) statistics: local authority housing income and expenditure 1997-1998 to 2019-2020 (near actuals) and 2020-2021 (budgeted estimates)

Local Authority housing stock (chart 1) (table 5)

13. There were 312,100 council houses in Scotland as at March 2020. This is an increase of 861 houses since March 2019. However, the number is forecast to rise to 314,475 (up 2,375) by March 2021. The number of council houses has fallen by around 50% since 1997. About 150,000 of the 315,000 reduction was due to sales to sitting tenants under Right-To-Buy (RtB), around 115,000 was due to the transfer by 6 councils of their total housing stock to Housing Associations and about 50,000 was due to demolition of unsuitable stock.

14. The decrease in council housing stock has slowed in recent years, particularly from 2008 and has increased in the latest year of reporting. This is mainly because of reductions in council house sales under RtB to sitting tenants and additions to council housing through new council house building. Seventeen councils had increases in their council housing stock at March 2020. It should be noted that the provision to end RtB - with a two year notice period - was included in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 and the scheme subsequently closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016.

Source: Scottish Government, Communities Analytical Division - based on Housing Revenue Account return provided by Scottish Local Authorities.

Notes:

1. From 2007 the HRA return asks for housing stock at 31 March each year. Prior to this figures were recorded at September each year.

2. Six councils transferred their housing stock to the housing association sector, therefore HRA information is not available (n.a.) for them.

3. Vertical lines show breaks in comparability after transfers of housing stock in Glasgow City, Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Argyll and Bute, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Inverclyde and the end of Right-to-Buy.

4. The provision to end RtB - with a two year notice period - was included in the Housing (Scotland) Act which received Royal Assent on 1^st August 2014,

and the scheme subsequently closed to all new applicants on 31 July 2016.

5. Figures for 2020 and 2021 may have been impacted on by the COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions. Consideration should be given to the impact of these restrictions when making any comparisons with other years.