The Regulator’s priorities, which it said have been informed by tenants and other stakeholders, will be:

• The quality of the homes, tenant and resident safety and the standard of sites for Gypsy/Traveller;
• Homelessness, with a particular focus on duties to provide temporary and settled accommodation;
• Landlords’ recovery from the pandemic including handling of any backlogs in housing services
• Rent affordability and value for money
• Governance & financial health in RSLs
• Being an effective public body

SHR said it will achieve its objectives by promoting a strong tenant voice; supporting landlords to do the right things for their tenants, people who are homeless and other service users; and taking effective, proportionate action where we need to protect tenants and others.

The strategy sets out how the Regulator will support the social housing recovery from the pandemic and explains how its work will help empower tenants and others. It also summarises how it will get assurance from landlords and restates its focus on promoting equality and human rights. 

George Walker, chair of the Scottish Housing Regulator, said: “As social landlords continue to work to build back services to tenants and tackle backlogs that came about due to COVID-19 restrictions, they also face wider challenges including around climate change and decarbonisation and the geopolitical landscape.

“The rising cost of living means many tenants and their families are facing increasing financial hardship with significant pressures on their household incomes from rising costs.

“Over the coming year, we will keep a strong focus on quality of homes, tenant and resident safety, how social landlords deliver homes for those who need them the recovery from the pandemic, rent affordability and value for money and governance and financial health in RSLs. 

“We will continue to work closely with landlords, tenants and all of our stakeholders to support the recovery in social housing and deliver shared vision of well-run social landlords delivering what tenants, people who are homeless, Gypsy/Travellers and others who use social housing services need and want, and at a price they can afford to pay.”

Alongside its Strategy, the Regulator also published a summary of its work plans for 2022/23. This details what the Regulator is planning to do in terms of regulatory work, reports, guidance and other publications, as well as information on how it will involve others in its work and be an effective public body.