Maxwell will gain an insight into the workings of HOMEArgyll’s Common Housing Register (CHR) for Argyll and Bute, which is designed to simplify the process of applying for a home by providing a single form for all applicants in a particular area to complete and a single pool from which participating social housing providers can select prospective new tenants.

Maxwell said: “Common Housing Registers are the single greatest step that landlords can take to simplify, improve and maximise access to housing in their area. They have real benefits for landlords, but especially for applicants.

“HOMEArgyll is the first CHR to put in place a Common Applications Policy, meaning applicants are assessed according to shared criteria for all the participating social landlords. This is a very progressive step which I hope we will see replicated across the country."

Marie Bowie, Housing Director of Fyne Homes Ltd which is a member of HOMEArgyll, said: “The HOME in HOMEArgyll stands for Housing Options Made Easy and sums up the service that we offer to people who are looking for housing in this area.

“All of the partners worked enthusiastically to develop our common allocations policy which makes the process of applying for housing to different agencies much easier for everyone.

“The Council and all of the partner housing associations are committed to providing people with quality information and advice, so that they can make informed decisions on all their housing options.”

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