Scottish parliamentarians from the House of Commons and House of Lords joined representatives from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland for a special Scottish housing reception at the Palace of Westminster this week.

Taking place on Tuesday, the event was hosted jointly by SNP MP Eilidh Whiteford and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope.

CIH Scotland organised the event to offer Scottish representatives at Westminster the benefit of the frontline expertise of CIH members across Scotland when scrutinising UK legislation with a potential impact on Scottish housing policy. While housing policy itself is devolved to the Scottish Government, many of the decisions the UK government makes on economic and welfare policy also have an indirect impact on housing policy in Scotland.

The organisation also shared its joint research with Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, which has revealed that Scotland needs to build at least 12,000 affordable homes a year for the next five years - double what is currently being delivered.

CIH Scotland director Annie Mauger said: “Housing policy is very different in Scotland and England but the challenges are similar – the most significant being that we are not building enough homes.

“We have 2,500 members in Scotland – housing professionals who work for local authorities, housing associations and the private sector. They know what works and what doesn’t on the ground, and we hope that this event can help connect that expertise and experience with Scottish parliamentarians at Westminster as they make big decisions on housing and welfare during the lifetime of this Parliament.”

She added: “I’d like to thank our sponsors, Eilidh Whiteford and Lord Kirkwood, for hosting our reception. This was a great opportunity to introduce CIH Scotland to those attending and we look forward to more discussions with Scottish MPs and peers on a range of housing issues in the future.”

@CIHScotland

@sfha_hq

@shelterscotland