Housing (Scotland) Act 2025

Housing (Scotland) Act 2025

2025 asp 13

Crown Application

Part 5 - Homelessness Prevention

Assessment of housing support services

Section 54 - Assessment of housing support services

153. Section 89 of the 2001 Act provides that a local authority, when required to do so by the Scottish Ministers, must assess housing provision and the provision of related services in its area. Section 54 of the 2025 Act provides that any such assessment must, in particular, assess the needs of persons in the area for, and the availability of, services that must be provided in accordance with section 32B(4) of the 1987 Act and other housing support services.

154. The services that must be provided under section 32B(4) are specified in regulations. The Housing Support Services (Homelessness) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/331) specify the following services so far as they are relevant to enabling a person to occupy, or to continue to occupy, residential accommodation as the person’s sole or main residence—

• advising or assisting a person with personal budgeting, debt counselling or in dealing with welfare benefit claims,

• assisting a person to engage with individuals, professionals or other bodies with an interest in that person’s welfare,

• advising or assisting a person in understanding and managing their tenancy rights and responsibilities, including assisting a person in disputes about those rights and responsibilities,

• advising or assisting a person in settling into a new tenancy.

155. Other “housing support services” (as defined by section 91(8) of the 2001 Act) include any service which provides support, assistance, advice or counselling to an individual with particular needs with a view to enabling that individual to occupy, or to continue to occupy, as a person’s sole or main residence, residential accommodation (other than such excepted accommodation as may be specified in regulations by the Scottish Ministers).