RSLs and homelessness in Scotland

Over the last 10 years the role of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in Scottish social housing has increased dramatically. This growth has brought new responsibilities and challenges, particularly in housing statutorily homeless households via the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 and the Homelessness (Scotland) Act 2003. When the subject of RSLs and homelessness is raised, it is usually assumed that this is about section 5 of the 2001 Act, which gave housing associations a duty to accept homelessness referrals from local authorities in particular circumstances.