Gareth James is a research fellow at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), based at the University of Glasgow, and is primarily responsible for coordinating knowledge exchange and engagement activities for specific CaCHE projects and across Scotland. His research interests include rural and urban land reform, housing delivery and placemaking.

Gareth has co-authored reports on delivering more and better homes and places in Scotland and also coordinates the work of the CaCHE Scotland Knowledge Exchange Hub, the CaCHE Housing and Place Delivery Forum. In September 2021, he took over the secretariat duties of running the Scottish Parliament cross party group (CPG) on housing.

Gavin Edmonds has over 12 years of experience and continues to work in the social housing sector. Gavin specialising in customer engagement, community and business development, and social enterprise.

He has developed and managed a range of homelessness, poverty and employability initiatives for housing associations and third-party organisations to improve lives and communities. Before his housing career, Gavin worked in financial services and for the Department for Work and Pensions.

Jim McDevitt, BHA’s chair, said: “I am delighted to welcome Gareth and Gavin onto BHA’s board. They join the organisation at an exciting and important time as we seek to develop our new strategy and transform the way we work and deliver services to tenants. Between them they have a wealth of diverse experience and skills which complement that of current BHA trustees. I look forward to working alongside them in the coming week and months.”