Local Authority Housing Resilience Group minutes: February 2021

Attendees and apologies

• Laura Caven, COSLA (Chair)
• Tony Cain, ALACHO
• Elaine Ritchie, Perth and Kinross Council
• Ashley Campbell, CIH
• David Goldie, Highland Council
• John Mills, ALACHO and Fife Council
• Eloise Nutbrown, COSLA
• Ross Anderson, Student
• David Wilson, Stirling Council
• Peter Brearley, SG
• Dorothy Ogle, SG
• Marion Gibbs, SG
• Angela O’Brien, SG
• Margaret Irving, SG (Secretariat)

Apologies

• David Simpson, Dundee City Council
• Clare Mailer, Perth and Kinross Council
• Douglas Whyte Argyll and Bute
• Angela Keith SOLACE
• Katrina Reid, Public Health Scotland
• AnnMarie Carr, West Lothian Council

Items and actions

Welcome and approval of previous minutes (attached)

Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

Actions

• SG to provide update on the number of digital sign ups on tenancy agreements.
• CIH to circulate internal market bill information once available.

Update from resilience chairs meeting with Minister for Housing and Local Government

Actions

• Laura will circulate the note of the last chairs meeting after it has been agreed tomorrow.
• Members of the group to flag any issues they want raised with the Minister.

Gypsy/Traveller Update

Actions

• COSLA will shortly commission  a report on the stopping pilot project and will share with the group when possible.
• COSLA to issue a survey through ALACHO to look at costs of sites and ask councils to share needs demand assessment to better understand supply.
• SG to update on the design guide for future design of GT developments when available.
• ALACHO to have a discussion with COSLA and SG about gathering further information on gypsy traveller position from councils

No Recourse to Public Funds

Actions

• The 5 year national strategy on NRPF is currently with Ministers for approval and SG will share the strategy at the next meeting if finalised.
• COSLA and SG to check the current position on community hosting and report back to the group.  
• COSLA and ALACHO to provide feedback from their meeting with SG on rent arrears which is taking place next week.

Unwinding of evictions restrictions

Actions

• Group members to consider the implications for those facing eviction or who have significant rent arrears and the support that may be required to respond to this.
• COSLA board are meeting on 5 March and members were asked to submit any questions for this meeting.
• COSLA to have a discussion with finance colleagues before the discussion  with SG to identify specific issues on rent arrears.
• COSLA to obtain an update on issues relating to criminal justice eg Covid in prisons, high levels of remand prisoners, from their community justice colleagues.
• SG are having a discussion with the homelessness street teams next week and will feed back at the next meeting. 

Scottish Government Update

Actions

• Members were asked to submit any questions or comments which would be passed to the Tenant Loan Fund team. 
• SG  to find out if there is any follow up of rejected TLF applicants and if there is a breakdown of tenure of the applicants and if this information can be shared.
• PRS group had asked to see the TLF rejection letter and if of interest to this group COSLA will circulate to members of this group.

Voids Processing Update and any related issues

Action

• Discussion of utilities is on the agenda for the SHR group meeting this afternoon. COSLA will email an update after that discussion.

Action Log

Actions

• COSLA to resend a link to the review of Health and Social Care.
• ALACHO to circulate slides from the meeting with SG on climate change.

Frequency and date of next meeting 

Next meeting will be 16 March. This will include a focussed discussion about evictions as the ban on Eviction Enforcement in level three and four areas which is due to end on 31 March.

AOB

Action

• CIH are co-chairing a National Dementia Strategy Implementation and Monitoring Governance Group established by the SG dementia strategy team. CIH to update the group following the first meeting.