Associations declare support for council in housing crisis

Housing associations in Argyll and Bute have come out in support of the housing crisis recently declared by Argyll and Bute Council.

 

The chairpersons of Argyll Community Housing Association, Dunbritton Housing Association, Fyne Homes and West Highland Housing Association met on August 18 to commend and support the actions of the council.

 

At a round-table meeting, discussions took place on how they could help and support the council tackle the housing crisis and made it a top priority for the associations.

 

They agreed to work closely together and with the council to take forward initiatives and create solutions that would help resolve the current situation.

 

A joint statement from the four chairs - James McMillan, Fyne Homes; Gerry Boyle, West Highland Housing Association; Cathy Grant, Argyll Community Housing Association; and Sephton MacQuire, Dunbritton Housing Association - said: “We know that the housing emergency in Argyll and Bute is about people.

 

"Not being able to secure suitable affordable housing is detrimental to people’s lives.

 

"We stand together with Argyll and Bute Council to find ways to improve and increase housing options across the area.”

 

A report to Argyll and Bute Council in June revealed the number of people on the area’s housing waiting list had increased by eight per cent in a year.

 

As well as 3,290 people on the waiting list, there are 253 households in the area who are classified as homeless. This represents a 15 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.

 

Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said in the report: “Over recent decades within the UK, including Scotland, structural changes within the housing system have occurred which see us now in a position which is commonly recognised as a housing emergency across the UK.”

 

Ms Flanagan then listed a range of factors, including increasing property values, a smaller percentage of housing stock available, and an increase in construction prices by 22 per cent in 2021/22.

 

She continued: “These problems/issues have a direct impact on property prices, rental levels, and general housing availability that contributes to wider economic and social challenges.

 

“This is a complex and interdependent picture, and collectively these local statistics point to a housing emergency within Argyll and Bute, set within the context of a national crisis that exacerbates the issues we face.

 

“The council has already declared housing as one of its top priorities bringing forward a number of projects across Argyll and Bute."

 

Councillors agreed to:

 

 

• Update the Local Housing Strategy to address the issues identified, with a clear focus on housing delivery actions;

 

• Host a housing summit in autumn 2023 to examine the issue further and bring together a range of housing stakeholders and partners;

 

• To continue to develop an officer housing group to focus on these issues and to identify appropriate actions which are likely to include new and direct housing interventions.