Why we are engaging with Dundee City Council (Dundee City)
We are engaging with Dundee City about its services for people who are homeless and its site(s) for Gypsy/Travellers.
The context in which local authorities are delivering services to people who are experiencing homelessness has become increasingly challenging in the last few years. In our December 2023 update to our thematic report on homelessness services in Scotland we set out that there is a heightened risk of systemic failure in the delivery of some local authorities’ services to people experiencing homelessness. By this we mean that there is a risk that the demands on some local authorities could shortly exceed their capacity to respond. This is the case at Dundee City. We will continue to monitor, assess and report on Dundee City’s performance in discharging its duties to people who are homeless.
During 2024/25, we reviewed and compared the data for all local authorities from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics. We also spoke to all local authorities to gather further information and assurance about their homelessness services. To assess the risks to people who are threatened with or experiencing homelessness we will engage with all local authorities during 2025/26 with a focus on the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation.
We will engage with Dundee City in particular about its provision of temporary accommodation to people who are homeless.
All social landlords who provide Gypsy/Travellers sites must ensure their site(s) meet the Scottish Government’s Minimum Site Standards and all standards and outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter. To gather further information and assurance, we will speak to all site providers during 2025/26 to discuss the management of their site(s).
What Dundee City must do
Dundee City must:
- send us the information we require in relation to its homelessness service;
- continue best efforts to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- keep us updated on its capacity to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order; and
- send us the information we require in relation to the management of its Gypsy/Traveller site(s).
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Dundee City provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Dundee City on a quarterly basis to discuss its homelessness service and engage as necessary;
- meet with Dundee City to seek assurance about its best efforts to provide suitable temporary accommodation;
- meet with Dundee City to discuss the management of its Gypsy/Traveller site(s); and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Dundee City.
Regulatory Returns
Dundee City must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns:
- Annual Assurance Statement; and
- Annual Return on the Charter.
It should also notify us of any material changes to its Annual Assurance Statement, and any tenant and resident safety matter which has been reported to or is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive or reports from regulatory or statutory authorities or insurance providers, relating to safety concerns.