In 2023, the council became the first local authority in Scotland to declare a housing emergency, with demand for affordable housing exceeding supply.

The latest annual update to the area’s LHS has now been approved and outlines a range of actions already in place as well as additional steps being taken to address an issue which has created challenges for many of Scotland’s local authorities.

The LHS encompasses four key areas:

Housing Supply and Place-making

• 144 new houses were completed in 2023/24. These include 70 new affordable houses delivered through the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP)
• 18 properties were brought back into the affordable housing market through the Council/Registered Social Landlord (RSL) buyback scheme.
• 2 community housing projects are nearing completion in Gigha (five affordable homes) and Colonsay (nine affordable homes)

The latest SHIP identifies potential for 72 affordable units to be delivered in 2024/25 and over 1000 additional homes to be completed or approved in subsequent years.

House Condition, Energy Efficiency and Poverty

• 236 homes were provided with energy efficiency measures – an investment of £1.77 million during 2023/24
• 8 tenements/50 properties were improved with £150,000 of private sector housing grants
• 2245 referrals were made to Home Energy Scotland for energy advice
• £4.45m of income was generated for households in Argyll and Bute by the Council’s Welfare Rights Team and £1.67m for households by the Citizens Advice Bureau

Specialist Provision and Independent Living

• 235 RSL homes received Stage 3 Adaptation Funding
• 67 private homes were supported with an Adaptation Grant
• 2248 Technology Enable Care (TEC) installations were carried out
• 19 new affordable homes specialist provision – 12 wheelchair and 7 amenity houses

Housing Options, Information and Support

• 492 homeless applications were received in 23/24, a 4% reduction from 22/23
• 7 new Housing First tenancies created
• 55 referrals to the Mental Health/Addictions Housing Practitioner
• 78% of households receiving housing support had a Planned Departure from support

The LHS also incorporates a Housing Emergency Action plan which has four key objectives for tackling the housing emergency - enable delivery of more market homes, more affordable homes, more homes for Argyll and Bute’s workforce and make the best use of existing homes in Argyll and Bute. A variety of measures have been implemented including:

• Holding a Housing Emergency Summit which has significantly contributed to starting a national conversation addressing housing issues
• Appointing an officer to advise property owners who want to transition from holiday home and short term let ownership into more permanent tenures
• Increasing Council Tax on second homes
• Appointing consultants to assist the production of Strategic Development Frameworks for Oban and Helensburgh to promote long-term growth and land release
• Using the Strategic Housing Fund to offer increased levels of support, particularly for Community Housing group projects
• Creating a forum for Community Development Trusts to collaborate
• Providing Council land for worker accommodation on Mull

Councillor Jim Lynch, policy lead for housing, said: “The council has been at the forefront of the campaign to raise awareness of the scale of the housing emergency which our country is facing. Ensuring a sufficient quantity of good quality housing which meets the needs of our communities remains challenging but we are continuing to work with all our partners and stakeholders to identify how to most effectively tackle the area’s housing emergency.

“As part of that we will continue to speak up to promote the issues and interests of Argyll and Bute. We want everyone who needs a home to be able to find an affordable one in the right place, at the right time.”

Councillor Lynch, as leader of the council, and council officers, are meeting with the Local Government Housing and Planning Committee of the Scottish Parliament on 25 November to highlight housing issues in the area.