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The Argyll & Bute Strategic Housing Forum
network
The Argyll & Bute Strategic Housing Forum is a network of key partners responsible for overseeing the implementation and monitoring of the council’s local housing strategies such as the Strategic Housing Investment Plan.
Collective action to tackle the area’s housing shortage
Argyll & Bute Council declared a housing emergency in 2023. This was a call to action and a catalyst to bring partners, stakeholders and communities together to commit to the collective action needed to tackle the area’s housing shortage. As the council does not build its own housing and given its geography, it relies on partners for housing delivery. A Strategic Housing Forum was created to bring together delivery partners to share knowledge and inform the council’s housing strategies. The Scottish Government’s guidance on developing Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIP) recommends local authorities to consider consultation and collaboration when developing a SHIP, which is a requirement to access public funding.
A mechanism for discussion, building consensus, and making recommendations
The Forum in governance terms is a network. It shares information about prescient issues and development projects and works together to better understand key issues around the area’s housing needs. It is chaired by the council and includes among others Registered Social Landlords, council planners, and Scottish Government. It is not a decision-making body but a mechanism for discussion, building consensus and making recommendations to Council Members and Scottish Government regarding housing issues in Argyll and Bute. It is a formally constituted partnership and has a Terms of Reference. The Forum benefits from being a confidential as this enables open dialogue.
The Forum exemplifies governance principles. It has a clear organisational focus and uses policy processes creatively. The Council has worked in an agile and holistic way, using existing institutional capacity and knowledge to find solutions to the challenge of housing delivery. Following in its footsteps, there is now a parallel forum for Community Housing Trusts to address rural depopulation and the lack of private development. This is seen as a lifeline for them as this offers support and knowledge to get projects up and running.
Accessing information and funding resources
The Forum fills a gap as there is currently no established mechanism that can bring together local players to tackle the complexity of housing delivery. It adds value to the private actors (e.g. RSLs) who have access to information and funding sources. Decision-makers benefit as they hear about issues first hand. The community benefits as this can deliver the homes needed. To quote “in reality, everyone should have one!”
Sources:
- Interview Fergus Murray