Private Sector Housing Investment Programme 2026-27
Renfrewshire Council · 19 May 2026
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 19 May 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 19 May 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Private Sector Housing Investment Programme 2026/27 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 On 26 February 2026 the Council approved a report entitled “Non-Housing Capital Investment Programme, Prudential Framework and Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27 – 2035/36 which includes funding provision for capital and revenue Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) expenditure for 2026/27. 1.2 Based on the Council budget approval and considering the most up to date expenditure projections, this report updates the programme requirements for the period 2026/27 to support owner participation on a range of programmes. 1.3 As noted by the Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 12 March 2019, there are funds held in reserve to support owners involved in the Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area tenement refurbishment project. This project is now coming to its conclusion and draw down of these funds is expected during 2026/27. 1.4 There is a requirement to manage the PSHG resources in a flexible manner in terms of the drawdown of funds, to reflect the timing of the settlement of final accounts associated with owners in the Housing Investment and Housing Regeneration Programmes. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: 2.1 Approve the Private Sector Housing Grant Investment Programme for the period 2026/27 as set out in Appendix 1. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Private Sector Housing Grant supports a range of services to private sector owners. This includes Disabled Adaptation grants, support costs for Care & Repair Renfrewshire, support for homeowners involved in Council Housing Investment and Regeneration Programmes involving common works carried out as part of external works programmes. 3.2 Appendix 1 sets out the proposed programme for 2026/27 showing proposed expenditure of £1.083m. The key elements of the proposed programme currently are as follows: (i) Adaptation Grants (Assistance to older and disabled owners) The Council provides grant to assist owners with adaptations to make dwellings suitable for a member of the household who is disabled. Responsibility for determining the strategy for support for disabled adaptations across all tenures (excluding Housing Associations) is the responsibility of Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Integration Joint Board. The Council is required by legislation to provide a minimum of 80% grant support to homeowners referred by HSCP, Occupational Therapy Services. In the past year there has been a reduction in the number of requests for grant support. However, it is anticipated that an annual allowance of £550,000 to support the delivery of private sector adaptations will be required in the coming year. The Council, in conjunction with Health & Social Care is continuing to monitor demand pressures on available grant during the year.
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PUBLIC Bridgewater Housing Association (Care & Repair Renfrewshire) have been managing the delivery of private sector adaptation installations under the current contract since April 2024. This contract will end in March 2027 and arrangements are being developed to retender these works to manage private sector adaptations and small repairs services in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire Councils. An annual allowance of £248,000 is included within the budget for Renfrewshire’s costs associated with the management of this contract by Bridgewater Housing Association. (ii) Housing Investment Programme Since achieving compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) in April 2015, there has been an ongoing requirement to ensure our housing stock continues to be maintained. The Housing Investment Programme includes common works in blocks of mixed ownership in regeneration and other areas and accordingly the PSHG programme will continue to support future external improvement works in mixed tenure blocks and offer grant to homeowners involved in these programmes. A window replacement programme has commenced across seven of the eight regeneration areas during the past year as well as external improvements in eight blocks in the Auchentorlie and Howard Street areas. This external work will continue in the coming year in the Waverley Road and Howwood Road areas where enhanced grant support is being offered to participating private homeowners in mixed tenure blocks following approval by the Communities & Housing Policy Board on 7 March 2023. Energy efficiency grants also continue to be made available to eligible households through the Scottish Government’s EES: ABS (Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland) programme and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme. An update has previously been reported to Board on 19th August 2025. A number of other private homeowners outwith the regeneration areas will also be consulted on a range of similar external programmes in the coming year.
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PUBLIC An allowance of £100,000 is proposed to support grants to homeowners during 2026/27. As noted within this report, uncertainties around the exact timing of projects and the application of grants to owners will require programme flexibility to be maintained with this and future years. (iii) Salaries Salaries for staff engaged on private sector housing investment within the Owner Services Team are funded through this budget. The annual allowance of £175,000 is included, reflecting the structure within the staff grouping responsible for delivery of the grants programme and including agreed pay settlements. The Private Sector Housing Grant also part funds the Council’s, More Homes Officer post. Private Sector Housing Grant is also funding one Energy Advocate post within the Council’s Energy Management Unit, providing information on non-Council grants and loans to private homeowners. (iv) Support to Private Rented Sector/ Miscellaneous Fees An allowance of £10,000 is included to fund training events for private landlords undertaken in partnership with Landlord Accreditation Scotland. These events are currently delivered online and in person, with an in person one taking place in October 2025 which was attended by 66 landlords and covered a wide range of topics including the Council’s housing investment programme, managing common repairs and the Housing (Scotland) Bill 2024. Another in person Landlord Forum event will be arranged towards the end of 2026 and annually thereafter. These funds are also used to support membership of Scotland’s Housing Network and the Under One Roof organisations who provide online training and networking meetings for Council Officers. 3.3 The nature of the Private Sector Housing Investment Programme means that flexibility is required to adjust spend between projects during the financial year for a number of reasons, for example due to differences between the estimated and actual grant required once the test of resources is applied to individual owners, slippage In projects, difficulties securing the participation of some owners, increased demand for private sector adaptations to ensure that full spend is achieved and thus best use is made of the resource available. ___________________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC Implications of the Report 1. Financial - The PSHG programme for 2026/27 totals £1.083 million 2. HR & Organisational Development - None 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – the support offered to private owners will help improve housing conditions making Renfrewshire a great place to live. • Our Renfrewshire is well – the support provided to older and disabled owners will help enable people to live healthier, for longer in their own homes. • Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – investment in the refurbishment of housing stock will create jobs and contribute to the economy. 4. Legal - None 5. Property/Assets - None 6. Information Technology - None 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement - None 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact - None 12. Climate Risk - Grant funding to private homeowners to support their participation in housing investment programme works will help improve energy efficiency in privately owned properties, which will contribute to residents using less energy, thus reducing emissions.
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PUBLIC 13. Children’s Rights – N/A 14. Cosla Policy Position – N/A ___________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers 1. Report to Communities & Housing Policy Board on 7 March 2023 – Proposed change to scheme of assistance in regeneration areas. 2. Report to Council on 26 February 2026 – Non-Housing Capital Investment Programme, Prudential Framework and Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Strategy 2026/27 – 2035/36. The foregoing background papers will be retained within Communities & Housing Services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Barbara Morgan, Mixed Tenure Manager 07483 380797, barbara.morgan@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Barbara Morgan, Mixed Tenure Manager Email: barbara.morgan@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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PUBLIC APPENDIX 1 PROPOSED PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING PROGRAMME 2026/27 Category 2026/27 Adaptation Grants £550,000 Care & Repair – Revenue Support – Contracted £248,000 Capital Programmes – Owners Grants £100,000 Capitalised Salaries £175,000 Miscellaneous Costs (including support for the private rented sector) £10,000 Total £1,083,000