After a survey of ESPC members sparked calls for a fairer and more proportionate system of LBTT, CEO Paul Hilton shares how the tax impacts first time buyers and the rental market via small and first time landlords, and looks at the wider picture in light of the current housing emergency.  Ten

Douglas Robertson reflects on the case of Wendy Murray to highlight the deepening crisis of tenement disrepair in Glasgow.

Professor Ken Gibb from the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), who was part of the Scottish Government’s Housing Investment Taskforce, shares his views on its recent official report. Last week, the Scottish Government’s housing investment taskforce (HITF) published its

Jimmy Black relives a few housing decades with Laurie Naumann, a campaigner on single homelessness, and a founder of Kingdom Housing Association. This is a story about Laurie Naumann, who recently retired after 44 years as a board member at Kingdom Housing Association. But it’s also a step bac

Jimmy Black cycled to Stornoway to meet Calum (Barney) MacKay, chair of TPAS Scotland and long-standing tenant activist. Barney is a trade unionist, and that explains a lot. Trades unions teach their active members how to do many useful things, including basic skills, like how to run a meeting or th

Jimmy Black meets the energetic Evie Copland, multi-award-winner and housing evangelist. “The biggest problem is … how do I change the world with this?” Evie Copland is finishing her Master's in Housing Studies, and she has been a distinguished student. In 2021 she won the Malcolm

Jimmy Black meets Bill Banks, retiring CEO of the multi award-winning Kingdom Group. Bill Banks looks relaxed, calm and entirely at home in his relatively modest office at Kingdom Housing Association. He’s a man at the height of his powers with a very solid track record of achievement. But Bil

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, Professor Duncan McLennan discusses the complexities of the Scottish housing system, addressing the notion of a housing emergency, the implications of the right to buy policy, and the urgent need for increased social housing. Speaking with hosts

Below is a full transcript of episode 69 of the Scottish Housing News Podcast titled ‘A conversation with Professor Duncan Maclennan’. Listen to the episode here.

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, the discussion revolves around the proposed amendments to the Housing Scotland Bill, particularly focusing on homelessness prevention. The conversation features insights from Susie Fitton, policy manager at the Scottish Federation of Housing Asso

Below is a full transcript of episode 68 of the Scottish Housing News Podcast titled ‘Amendments to the Housing Bill with Susie Fitton, John Mills and Maeve McGoldrick’. Listen to the episode here. Chapters

Jimmy Black asks Duncan Maclennan about the Right to Buy for housing associations.

Jimmy Black wonders about the current Housing Bill.

Jimmy Black reflects on the Heat in Buildings Bill, and laments the loss of Patrick Harvie’s radical edge.

Jimmy Black gets some sage advice from Martin Wilkie-McFarlane, and hears how regulation was ultimately a positive experience for Wellhouse Housing Association.

For the next edition of Our Housing Heritage, journalist and digital history specialist Chris Holme shares the story of how First World War servicemen came to reside in the rural village of Longniddry. Unlikely as it sounds, the Longniddry Piggery provided Britain’s first purpose-built homes f

In the latest article in the ongoing Our Housing Heritage series, Scottish Housing News discusses the Glasgow Rent Strikes of 1915. In the absence of social housing, families across the UK in 1915 were at the mercy of private landlords who could hike rents and evict tenants at will with little restr

The Springburn office of ng homes is named after Ned Donaldson. But who was Ned Donaldson? Kieran Findlay recalls the contribution of the activist and the post-war battle to stop the privatisation of council housing at Merrylee. It was a cold sleety December day in 1951. Slum landlordism and sublett

Duncan Smith, who works in the social housing sector, has contributed this piece as part of his quest for more information about housing architect George Gibson. Several years ago, just after starting my current job, I undertook some research on the properties we were refurbishing at the time. I fou

Two Scottish pensioners who lost their entitlement to Winter Fuel Payment and the equivalent Scottish benefit to be introduced in winter 2024/25 after changes were made to the eligibility rules have lost a judicial review challenge to the decisions of both the UK and Scottish governments.

First Minister John Swinney has confirmed that pensioners in Scotland will receive no less than they would under the new UK Winter Fuel Payment scheme.

Scotland's private rented homes may be required to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard for their properties from 2028, as the Scottish Government unveils new proposals aimed at tackling fuel poverty and curbing carbon emissions. Under proposals published today, regulations would be brought for

British households will see a modest drop in energy costs this summer after Ofgem announced a 7% cut to the energy price cap, reducing average annual bills by £129 to £1,720. While this decline, driven primarily by falling wholesale gas prices, is a welcome reprieve for consumers, it has

A piece of legislation that empowers police across England and Wales to fine or imprison people for rough sleeping or begging looks set to be scrapped after more than 200 years.

Cyrenians Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) has launched a new online resource aimed at supporting parents and carers to manage and reduce family conflict, one of the leading causes of youth homelessness in Scotland. The new Learning Zone for Parents and Carers is now live on the SCCR w

Fife Council is making progress on reducing the use of private accommodation as temporary housing, councillors heard yesterday. The local authority declared a Housing Emergency on 21st March last year.

The Marie Trust, a leading Glasgow charity for people who are homeless, has scooped one of this year’s GSK IMPACT Awards, a much sought-after accolade for health care charities in the UK.

The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) has called on the Scottish Government to pause the Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) for landlords to help alleviate the housing crisis and homelessness. Part of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) system, the ADS is a tax that applies in Scot

Efforts to improve energy efficiency standards across the private rented sector will worsen the housing crisis and force people to spend longer in emergency homeless accommodation, the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) has warned.

Every private residential property in Ireland is to be subject to rent controls after the Cabinet approved the extension of current Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the country.

Lee Hardy has joined the ownership and senior management team of Dwello, Scotland’s new residential letting agent, as its director of new business. Dwello launched in late May 2025, opening its first office on Byres Road in Glasgow.

New figures released this week have revealed that 326,255 children are actively benefiting from the Scottish Child Payment across the country. The Scottish Child Payment is unique to Scotland and provides financial support for families, helping with the costs of caring for a child. It is a monthly p

The number of applications for Discretionary Housing Payments has risen to 129,860 from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, a 4.5% increase from the previous year, according to new figures from the Scottish Government.

Households in the Inverness Area have benefited significantly from Welfare Advice received by Highland Council officers when applying for the Inverness Winter Payment Scheme. Leader of Inverness and Area, Councillor Ian Brown, explained: “Councillors have agreed to continue the Inverness Commo

Hillcrest has helped tenants unlock a remarkable £502,740 in financial gains through a targeted campaign to increase the take-up of Pension Credit, support many tenants were unaware they were entitled to. The campaign was delivered by Hillcrest’s Financial Wellbeing Team (FWT) and Hillcr