Blogs

Kevin Sturgeon: Business continuity plans & coronavirus – what RSLs need to consider

Harper Macleod solicitor Kevin Sturgeon provides an update for RSLs on the latest requirements from the Scottish Housing Regulator.

Published 27 March 2020

Jessica Husbands: Coronavirus - how do you stay at home if you don't have one?

Jessica Husbands from Shelter Scotland discusses the issue of homelessness in the UK during the current COVID-19 lockdown.

Published 27 March 2020

David Bookbinder: No rent holidays, but landlords will take a hit anyway

Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF) director David Bookbinder argues that the conversation should be moved away from rent holidays and focussed instead on the loss of income members facing housing associations and co-operatives.

Published 26 March 2020

Kelly Fraser: Coronavirus and general meetings – what do RSLs need to know?

Kelly Fraser provides advice for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) wondering how to deal with governance issues, including the requirements to convene meetings, during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Published 26 March 2020

Penny Norton: No consultation lockdown

Given the current working conditions at housing associations across Scotland, Penny Norton reveals how online consultation can replace meetings usually carried out in person.

Published 26 March 2020

Scottish Housing News joins forces with Homeless Network Scotland

Homeless Network Scotland is partnering with Scottish Housing News to collect and share the experiences and challenges faced by its members, the wider homelessness sector and people confronted directly with homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. In response to the emergency, Homeless Network Scotland is offering free membership to organisations and individuals. Their head of external relations, Martin Gavin, joins our team temporarily from today as a special correspondent on homelessness.

Published 25 March 2020

Craig Edward: Rent holiday is a non-starter

Craig Edward offers an alternative view to Grant Ager’s call for Scotland’s social landlords to consider a three-month rent holiday.

Published 25 March 2020

Kelly Fraser: What RSLs need to know about coronavirus and data protection

All organisations across the world are facing challenges as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and Kelly Fraser says many Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) will be concerned about what this means for their day-to-day operations.

Published 25 March 2020

Grant Ager: Scottish social landlords should suspend rent during coronavirus crisis

Well-known housing figure Grant Ager argues that Scotland’s social landlords should consider a three-month rent holiday.

Published 24 March 2020

Janet Haugh: Amidst the challenges there is much cause for hope

Ypeople CEO Janet Haugh gives an update on the charity’s continuing work.

Published 24 March 2020

Malcolm Combe: Landlord and tenant law in a time of crisis

Property law can seem boring and unimportant to some people at times. In the face of a crisis, property law often seems decidedly unimportant. People need to live somewhere, though, and opportunistic and/or thoughtless landlords might use a situation of crisis (or be completely or wilfully oblivious to a crisis) such that tenants find themselves in a sticky situation. Rent control in the

Published 23 March 2020

Editorial: Proud to be on the side of Scotland's housing professionals

The weeks ahead will be the most challenging we have ever faced. Social housing professionals have a critical role to play in providing advice and support to thousands of worried and frightened tenants, some of them in sheltered housing and others in supported living units or care homes.

Published 23 March 2020