The Scotland Housing Awards recognise the creativity, passion and innovation of housing organisations and individuals across the sector.

Despite the challenges faced by the pandemic, this year’s awards received over 100 entries across 17 categories, including best frontline housing story, excellence in housing innovation and excellence in health and wellbeing.

The winners are as follows:

Excellence in customer service:  

• Kingdom CARES: Delivering customer service excellence, Kingdom Housing Association

Excellence in housing innovation: 

• Old Sawmill development, Rothiemurchus Communities Housing Trust
• Partners: Rothiemurchus and Old Sawmill Cooperative

Working in partnership: 

• Changing lives at the Bellgrove Hotel, Wheatley Group
• Partners: Glasgow City Council

Excellence in development for affordable housing: 

• Affordable modular homes – Isle of Mull, The Wee House Company
• Partners: Mull and Iona Community Trust

Excellence in tenant scrutiny – sponsored by Scottish Government: 

• Kingdom Tenant Scrutiny, Kingdom Housing Association

Excellence in organisational change: 

• Changing lives in a pandemic, Wheatley Group

Excellence in the private rented sector – sponsored by Scottish Association of Landlords: 

• ECO3 Grants, Gilson Gray

Excellence in regeneration: 

• Achtercairn development – Gairloch, Communities Housing Trust

Housing provider of the year: 

• Excellent Tenancy Toolkit, Link Group ltd

Excellence in health and wellbeing: 

• More than a landlord, Wheatley Group

Excellence in communications – sponsored by Resource: 

• Communicating in a pandemic, Wheatley Group

Apprentice of the year – sponsored by Queens Cross Housing Association: 

• Carla Hutchinson, Places for People

Alan Ferguson – outstanding contribution to housing: 

• Robina Qureshi, Positive Action

Excellence in leadership – sponsored by ALACHO: 

• Ann Leslie, Lar Housing Trust
• John Mills, Fife Council

Best frontline housing story: 

• Tenant participation team, North Lanarkshire Council

Housing team of the year – sponsored by Fife Council: 

• Staff team, Ruchazie Housing Association

Bob Allan – young achiever in housing – sponsored by Glasgow Housing Association: 

• Alastair Burke, Ferguslie Park Housing Association Ltd

Commenting on the awards, Callum Chomczuk, CIH Scotland director, said: “I am so pleased we have been able to return to our in-person Scotland Housing Awards for 2021. The Awards and accompanying Good Practice Compendium is one of the most important activities for CIH Scotland undertakes each year.

“It promotes and highlights how housing professionals make a difference across Scotland and impact the wider public policy objectives that make a difference to all our lives. Never has this been more important as navigate our way through the twin challenges of an unprecedented global pandemic and climate emergency.

“My congratulations to all our winners but also all our nominees. The standard of application was as ever incredibly high and a testament to the innovation and delivery that our profession should be proud of.”