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THEMATIC REPORT: RSLS AND HOMELESSNESS

The Scottish Housing Regulator has today published a thematic report, which can be found here, on the contribution that registered social landlords (RSLs) make to preventing and alleviating homelessness in Scotland. The report has a particular focus on meeting the Scottish Government’s target to give permanent accommodation to all unintentionally homeless people by 2012.

The report concludes that RSLs are generally responsive to local authority requests to house homeless people, but the RSL sector, as a whole, could make more of a contribution and some RSLs should make more of a contribution. It also identifies some areas where current practices could be improved, to help maximise the availability and suitability of lets and ensure effective partnership working to prevent and alleviate homelessness.

Scottish Housing Regulator Acting Chief Executive Michael Cameron said: “We recognise that there is much strength and good practice in RSLs’ approach to helping local authorities meet their duties to homeless people. And we have found that many RSLs are engaging in a range of activities to support vulnerable households to sustain their tenancies. But the RSL sector, as a whole, could make more of a contribution. In 2008/09, RSLs gave just 22% of their lets to homeless people referred by councils. This proportion of lets has increased by only 1% in each of the last two years, despite a significant increase in the number of referrals.”

“But we must also recognise that the vast majority of RSL lets do go to people in housing need. An important role for landlords is to balance meeting the needs of homeless people with meeting other, often serious, housing needs. We suggest that the time may be right for a discussion around where that balance should rest, and how the 2012 target should be delivered.”

Notes to Editors:

1. A copy of the thematic report can be found on the Scottish Housing Regulator website at www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk

2. The Scottish Housing Regulator came into operation on 1 April 2008. It is the agency that independently operates the regulation and inspection powers in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to:

• protect the interests of current and future tenants, and other service users;

• ensure the continuing provision of good quality social housing in terms of

decent homes, good services, value for money and financial viability; and

• maintain the confidence of funders.

3. The Scottish Housing Regulator regulates 240 registered social landlords (RSLs) and 26 local authority landlords, that in total provide one in four (577,650) homes in Scotland. It also regulates the homelessness functions of local authorities and assesses how well RSLs and local authorities provide factoring services to owners and sites for Gypsies/Travellers.