ONS classification of HAs to be re-considered this year

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed it will review whether to reclassify housing associations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as public bodies.

The move, follows the ONS’s decision last October to reclassify English housing associations as public sector bodies for accounting purposes. This led to a major government drive to deregulate the English housing sector to ensure its £60bn debt comes off the public balance sheet.

The review into associations in the devolved nations is expected to conclude between October and December this year. Housing associations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently classified as private bodies for the purposes of accounting. An ONS decision to reclassify out of england landlords as public bodies would mean their £6.5bn borrowing is added to the UK’s national debt.