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Scottish social housing sector sees 13% of workforce placed on furlough, regulator data reveals
A total of 1,633 housing association staff in Scotland were placed on furlough in April, according to new data collected by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to monitor the impact of coronavirus on social landlords.
Just over 13% of the Scottish sector’s workforce was placed on the government’s Job Retention Scheme last month as associations looked to cut costs amid the pandemic.
The highest share of workers furloughed by a single landlord was 68%, while some furloughed no staff.
Last month, research by Inside Housing found that at least 2,889 housing association staff members had been furloughed across the UK, including 518 staff members at Wheatley Group, Scotland’s largest housing association.
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The SHR’s data also found that 5% of housing association workers in Scotland were absent in April. The highest absence rate recorded by a single landlord was 30%.
Meanwhile, the regulator also found that social landlords in Scotland, including local authorities, were owed a combined £148m in rent arrears at the end of April this year, an 8% increase on the £137m owed at the end of March.
The number of empty homes owned by social landlords at the end of April was 8,373, of which 3,700 were owned by housing associations and 4,673 were owned by local authorities.
Just 746 homes were let by social landlords in Scotland in April, of which 385 (52%) were let directly to homeless people.
In comparison, 56,193 homes were let by social landlords in 2018/19, an average of 4,682 per month.
On 3 April, the Scottish government placed an effective freeze on the housing market by issuing guidance that urged people to delay moving home.
Local authorities received 2,293 homeless applications in April, and 2,853 households were offered and accepted temporary accommodation.
