Housing Annual Assurance Statement 2025
Argyll and Bute Council · 24 September 2025
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 HOUSING ANNUAL ASSURANCE STATEMENT 2025 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Council Homeless Services are subject to scrutiny and inspection by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). The Council must demonstrate that it is meeting the statutory requirements contained in the Scottish Social Housing Charter. Argyll and Bute Council is no longer a social landlord but retains statutory duties to provide services to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. The Council submits an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). In 2019 the SHR introduced a requirement for all local authorities to submit an Annual Assurance Statement which will be published on the SHR website. This report details the proposed Statement for 2025. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that the Council approve the Annual Assurance Statement contained in Appendix 1 of this report. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 The SHR produced a document entitled Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland in February 2019. The regulatory requirements are set out in Section 3 of the document and even though Argyll and Bute Council is no longer a social landlord, there are requirements for the Council to ensuring that statutory duties are met in relation to preventing and alleviating homelessness. 3.2 There are 4 areas in which the SHR can engage with the Council in relation to homelessness services:- • How people access the service; • The assessment of homeless applications; • Access to and quality of temporary accommodation; and • Outcomes for people who are homeless.
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In 2025 the SHR advised the Council that there will be engagement about the Council’s services for people in relation to temporary accommodation specifically the number of times the Council did not offer temporary or emergency accommodation when it should or if the Council has breached the Unsuitable Accommodation Order in relation to temporary accommodation. 3.3 Members are kept informed of the Council’s performance in relation to statutory and regulatory requirements in relation to housing in various ways:- • Through the Corporate Reporting Process; • Through quarterly Housing Performance Reports submitted to Committee; • Through the quarterly reporting produced for the Strategic Housing Forum; • Through the Annual Updates on the Local Housing Strategy; and • Through an Annual Housing Activity report submitted to the 4 Area Committees 3.4 The Council has produced an Equalities and Human Rights statement in relation to homelessness. This includes a commitment to analyse data relevant to assessing the impact on services across all groups. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 The Development and Economic Growth Service’s Housing Team will continue to improve services to households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. The Housing Team will continue to engage with the SHR to report on progress on the housing and homeless services provided in Argyll and Bute. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – None. 5.2 Financial – Sufficient budget is required to deliver statutory services. 5.3 Legal – None. 5.4 HR – None. 5.5 Customer Service - None 5.6 Risk - the Council will be subject to censure from the SHR and Scottish Government if statutory duties are not fulfilled. 5.7 Climate Change - None 5.8 Fairer Scotland Duty – Socio-economic Duty – the delivery of services to households who are homeless including the provision of suitable temporary
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and then permanent accommodation facilitates socio-economic opportunities for those families. 5.9 Equalities – protected characteristics - the activity outlined in the report is consistent with the aims and objectives set out in the Local Housing Strategy which is subject to an EQIA. There are targets within the housing plans to deliver housing which meet the needs of specialist groups 5.10 Consumer Duty - none 5.11 Island Communities – the delivery of homeless services covers all areas of Argyll and Bute including the islands 5.12 Children’s Rights and Wellbeing – the statement provides assurance that homeless households with children will be accommodated appropriately. Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth Councillor Jim Lynch, Council Leader and Policy Lead Economic Development, Island and Rural Communities and Housing For further information contact: Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Fergus.Murray@argyll-bute.gov.uk Douglas Whyte, Team Lead – Housing Strategy Douglas.Whyte@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 Housing Annual Assurance Statement 2025