The lecture marked Osprey Housing Group’s 20th year as one of the city and shire’s leading social housing providers while honouring the contribution that Bill Chapman has made to the advancement of the tenant’s movement and social housing as a whole.

Osprey Housing Group CEO Glenn Adcook said: “Over the years, our outgoing chairman, Bill Chapman, has put the needs of tenants at the heart of everything Osprey do. We thought it only right to celebrate his outstanding work by looking towards the future of social housing with this new lecture event and are pleased at how well-received it has been.”

During her speech, Ms Thomas highlighted the ways in which social housing increasingly provides stability, building and sustaining whole communities.

She noted: “Housing associations do what other housing providers can’t or don’t aspire to – not only providing a home but making a real, tangible and long-term difference to the people who live there and the places they live in.

“Housing associations help the government meet its social, economic and environmental policy objectives in health and social care, child poverty, an ageing population, employment and education, climate change and inclusive growth.”

Ms Thomas added: “Around a fifth of people in Scotland live in social housing, roughly half in housing association and co-ops homes and half in council homes. Social housing produces an economic output of around £1.4 billion and up to 12,000 jobs. These are seriously impressive figures. As we look to the future, this is a sector which is increasingly strong and confident.”