Improving access to housing
HOME Argyll
What is it?
HOME Argyll stands for ‘Housing Options Made Easy’. It was introduced in October 2006 to make it easier for people to find affordable housing in Argyll and Bute. It is a partnership between four housing associations in Argyll, and the local authority.
HOME Argyll involves:
• Co-ordinated housing information and advice provision
• A single housing application form for all housing associations in Argyll
• A common housing allocation policy for all housing associations in Argyll
• A shared database of people seeking housing
The overall aim of HOME Argyll is to make it easier for people to find out about their housing options, and to make it simpler to apply for housing from housing associations.
Who are the partners?
HOME Argyll is a partnership between:
• Argyll Community Housing Association
• Dunbritton Housing Association
• Fyne Homes
• West Highland Housing Association
• Argyll and Bute Council
What made this partnership successful?
HOME Argyll is the first full common housing allocation policy in Scotland. Achieving this involved very close partnership working. Some of the reasons this partnership was successful include:
• Evidence – the development of HOME Argyll began in 2004. It started with a study which explored how the process of applying for housing could be improved. This provided clear evidence of the benefits which HOME Argyll could bring.
• Principles - the partners developed a set of principles to underpin the development of HOME Argyll. The central principle was that it should improve the quality of service offered to the customer. These clear principles helped to inform decision making as HOME Argyll developed.
• Involvement – the development of HOME Argyll involved a range of people, including staff, committee members, customers and other local organisations and agencies. Involving everyone in decisions created ownership, and ensured everyone was committed to introducing HOME Argyll.
Lessons learned
Getting four housing associations and a local authority to agree shared procedures and policies isn’t easy! HOME Argyll now works well, but has involved challenges along the way. Some of the lessons learned include:
• Build trust – when HOME Argyll development began, some of the partners had never met staff from the other partner organisations. This meant that initially there was some mistrust and wariness about partnership working. But by the end of the process, relationships had developed meaning that joint working became much easier and quicker.
• Be prepared to compromise – by focusing on the potential benefits which HOME Argyll could bring to customers, the partners were able to compromise and adapt their existing approaches.
• Recognise achievements – HOME Argyll was officially launched in October 2006. A launch event was held, bringing together everyone who had been involved along the way. This helped people to see how far they had come, and celebrate what they had achieved.
Find out more
More information is available on the HOME Argyll website.
A more detailed case study on the process of developing HOME Argyll has been published by the Scottish Executive. It was written in early 2006, when HOME Argyll was still in development.
