Purpose

All Local Authorities are required by the
Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to have a Scheme of Assistance (SoA)
setting out the circumstances in which it will provide homeowners
and private tenants with advice, practical support and financial
assistance to help them repair, maintain, improve or adapt their
homes. A review of Aberdeenshire Council’s SoA is required
because of changes to service deliver in response to budget
pressures.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 also requires local authorities to
have a Below Tolerable Standard and Housing Renewal Area Policy
within their Local Housing Strategies. These polices have been
reviewed in line with the Policy Review and Development Framework
and to take account of the recently published Local Housing
Strategy 2024-29.

The report seeks comments on the policies which will be presented
to Communities Committee for approval in February 2025.

Content

Agreed to provide the following comments to
Communities Cttee and Capital Plan Group – (1) whilst
appreciating that budgets are tight, to highlight the AC’s
concern in that by providing grant to clients who have been
assessed as having critical or substantial risk and stopping
provision of high cost equipment resulting in no longer carrying
out early intervention/prevention work, will very likely increase
and exacerbate problems elsewhere, that there will be a human
impact, and therefore this move does not make good financial sense,
(2) under The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 Scheme of Assistance, to
note with concern that those clients assessed with medium or low
risk are given advice and assistance for self-help and that this
may open them up to exploitation, and (3) that regardless of
whether a private homeowner or Council tenant, everyone should be
treated in the same way