Homelessness prevention by Argyll and Bute Council

Flexible décor & move-in fund

The context

Research on social housing in Scotland draws a link between higher potential for tenancy failure, and the extent to which a tenant has been able to make a property feel like a home.ii This often relates to practical/financial factors - the inability to afford, physically carry out and/or generally deal with, furnishing and decorating a whole property quickly.

Decorative state and/or lack of furniture may also increase the likelihood of applicants refusing offers of housing. This generally has negative consequences for homeless applicants. At worst, it can lead to a loss of rehousing priority. But in all cases, it leads to an elongation of homelessness. Argyll and Bute Council has been taking a novel approach to address both issues.

The intervention

In its RRTP, Argyll and Bute Council reported that only 73% of social housing offers were accepted by homeless applicants. Research showed a link between refusals and decorative standards. Whilst some Councils run furnished tenancy schemes covering larger items (i.e. flooring and cookers), these are rare among RSLs. Such schemes can help new tenants by complementing other forms of help available, but are not an option for stock transfer authorities. Homeless applicants in Argyll and Bute receive two offers, making discharge of duty less common; but the prevalence of refusals was certainly contributing to longer temporary accommodation stays.

The Council conceived of a flexible decoration fund, managed by the authority, for use in RSL homes. The aim was to increase both the proportion of offers accepted by people who are statutory homeless, and the financial means and personal choice available to new tenants to make a house into a home, enhancing the likelihood of tenancy sustainment. All tenants moving on from homelessness are offered use of this fund, which can be paid promptly, making move-in quicker. The fund complements and/or fills gaps left by other forms of help, such as the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) or RSL decoration vouchers.

Where a tenant feels enhanced decoration is the priority, the fund can boost the amount offered by the RSL as vouchers, or enable the tenant to pay for small works to be completed themselves. Or it can be used to pay for items often not covered by the SWF, such as carpets or goods which allow a greater level of personalisation. The fund can pay for van hire to assist a move, or a rent overlap where a tenant can’t move until furnishing/décor is in place, and has to pay two rents. Where RSLs are involved, they invoice the Council, rather than requesting payment from the tenant, reducing stress.

The outcome

Between April 2020 and December 2021, 93 new tenants made use of the decoration fund, at a cost of £64,577 (average: £694 per household). All tenancies are being sustained to date (early 2022). The Council notes having recourse to the fund has in some cases facilitated quicker move-on from temporary accommodation, partly offsetting costs (especially as Argyll and Bute often use privately rented temporary stock). The fund’s flexibility has thus far catered for the range of issues applicants have challenges with, and there’s been no need as yet to implement a ‘supervised spend’ option.

Key insights

a small amount of money can go a long way when someone is moving into an unfurnished home – especially when they have choice and flexibility to use it in a way which most benefits them
whilst various sources of help for people who are homeless moving to social homes exist, they’re not always sufficient, rapid or comprehensive - a universal fund can plug critical gaps promptly
the extra costs of raising the decorative standard of unfurnished homesthrough funds to tenants may be able to be partially offset by quicker move-on from temporary accommodation, lower refusals, lower void times and greater sustainment

Find out more…

Douglas Whyte, Housing Team Lead: Strategy, Argyll & Bute Council
douglas.whyte@argyll-bute.gov.uk