Marking the 20th anniversary of Highland Housing Alliance (HHA), chief executive Gail Matheson looks at how the housing landscape in the Highlands has changed, the pressures communities are now facing, and why the success of significant investments, like the Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Free

Following a discussion during the Scottish Procurement Alliance AGM that focused on the nation's housing crisis, regional director Lesley Peaty argues that if we are to find homes for all those in need in Scotland, then we need to address a problem which has been overlooked for far too long: empty h

Jennifer Campbell, a property professional in the rural services division of DM Hall Chartered Surveyors, highlights concerns over a compulsory purchase reform consultation that suggests proposed new council powers could trump age-old property rights. It would be a struggle to find a property profes

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

Below is a full transcript of episode 76 of the Scottish Housing News Podcast titled ‘Minority landlords and mixed tenure repairs with Audrey Murphy and Professor Douglas Robertson’. Listen to the episode here.

Below is a full transcript of episode 75 of the Scottish Housing News Podcast titled ‘Scottish Housing Day celebrates good neighbours with Callum Chomczuk and Jamie Ballentine’. Listen to the episode here.

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black discuss the theme of 'Everybody Needs Good Neighbours' for Scottish Housing Day. They explore the importance of community and neighbourliness, the role of housing associations in fostering social connections, and th

In this episode, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black discuss the pressing issue of homelessness with Maureen Knight from Albyn Housing Society and Pamela Forrest from Riverside Scotland. They explore innovative strategies to prevent homelessness, focusing on proactive tenancy sustainment and the Housing

It’s Scottish Housing Day; Jimmy Black conjures up soundscapes, and meditates on what makes a good neighbourhood.

Jimmy Black blogs on Riverside Scotland’s Housing First for Families, and Albyn’s Tenancy Sustainment Team.

Jimmy Black says the current funding system for adaptations makes no sense.

Jimmy Black says knowing what causes condensation is the key to fixing it.

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

A leading energy campaigner has been given an industry lifetime achievement award for his efforts to tackle fuel poverty. Kenny Cameron, managing director of Edinburgh-based Connected Response, was presented with an award by Energy Action Scotland in recognition of a lifetime of trying to make peopl

Scarf has received a special commendation in the Fuel Poverty & Vulnerable Customer Support category at the National Energy Efficiency Awards 2025. The recognition builds on the organisation’s earlier regional award win and marks a proud moment in its 40th anniversary year.

Caledonia Housing Association (CHA) has strengthened its support for tenants this year through increased investment in maintenance and expanding partnerships that help households improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel costs. As part of its ‘Best at Basics’ approach, CHA has establishe

Councillor Paul Steele, leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Councillor Angus McCormack, chair of the OHCPP Anti-Poverty Group have written to Scottish Government and UK Government calling for action to address fuel poverty in the Outer Hebrides. The letter references a recent report by Tighean I

With the 2026 Scottish Parliament election approaching, Edinburgh-based homelessness charity Rowan Alba will be asking the new MSPs and Scottish Government to address some key challenges facing people affected by homelessness, addiction, social isolation and ongoing complex needs. Rowan Alba provide

Taylor Wimpey West Scotland has donated 165 socks, gloves, scarves and hats to the Glasgow Youth Housing Hub in Govan – run by youth homelessness charity, Rock Trust. As part of its Wrap Up Warm campaign, the homebuilder has donated over 14,000 much-needed winter essentials to 24 homelessness

This Christmas, Shelter Scotland will receive twice as many calls to its helpline from people urgently seeking temporary accommodation than any other issue (38%).   Samuel* phoned Shelter Scotland in June after receiving a notice to quit while in temporary accommodation and his homelessness app

The Scottish Government has pledged to intensify efforts to tackle homelessness as it unveiled its latest Ending Homelessness Together annual report to Parliament.

Scotland’s landlords have warned the Scottish Government that increasing property taxes will further worsen the housing crisis.  The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), which represents landlords in Scotland, issued the warning following the recent UK Budget and ahead of the Scottish

Highland Council is moving forward with steps to consider the introduction of Short Term Let (STL) Control Areas in both Sutherland and Skye and Raasay, following evidence that housing markets in these regions are under increasing pressure.

Dr Andrew Robert Watson builds on recent research to look forward at the trajectory of the Scottish private rented sector over the next 30 years.

A Highland Council report has confirmed that the Dingwall and Seaforth Ward area does not currently face the level of housing pressure from short-term lets (STLs) required to justify progressing the creation of a Short Term Let Control Area. Members of the Dingwall and Seaforth Area Committee confir

Housing bodies have welcomed the UK Government's abolition of the two-child benefit cap but shared their disappointment that the freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) was not scrapped for good.

Social Security Scotland’s Scottish Child Payment is supporting 322,230 children across the country, newly published figures show.  Launched in February 2021, the Scotland-only benefit gives families with low incomes crucial financial support to help with the cost of raising children.

The UK and Scottish governments must take urgent action to tackle unprecedented levels of hardship facing Scotland’s social tenants, according to a new report from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Ahead of a series of meetings in London today with child poverty charities, social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has urged the UK Government to take action to tackle child poverty in its forthcoming Budget, including immediately scrapping the two-child limit and the benefit cap. Ms Somer