Opinion

Accredited employment law specialist Laura Salmond suggests that the Flexible Working Bill will likely see more employees become aware of the right to make flexible working requests, and that the volume of these requests will increase. On 29 July 2023, the Employment Relations (Flexible Working

Existing Homes Alliance chair Lori McElroy responds to recent proposals to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Most of us rely on gas and oil boilers to heat our homes, but that reliance is driving the cost of living crisis and adding to the climate crisis.

Ahead of next month's Scottish Housing Day, Jacqueline Omoniyi from Under One Roof shares her "not straightforward" path to a housing career. I started my career in housing, working for an HMO Licence specialist company in Edinburgh, though my pathway into housing was not straightforward. I was a gr

It is a common misconception that Home Reports are not required if you sell your home without the help of an estate agent or solicitor. Peterhead-based surveyor Steven Dale warns this is not the case. Whether Covid is to blame, or whether we are all just becoming resigned to doing everything online,

Philip Whyte, director of IPPR Scotland, discusses the need for the Scottish Government to scrap the two-child limit for Universal Credit or Child Tax Credits. With Keir Starmer’s refusal to commit to scrapping it should Labour form the next UK government, the two-child limit has understa

Centre for Homelessness Impact associate Michael Sanders talks about how the charity's Lifelong Links intervention shows the potential to reduce homelessness among young people in care.

Edith England, Neil Turnbull and Oliver Townsend are looking to create a network that seeks to reduce the high risk of homelessness among queer people.

Community Land Scotland’s policy manager, Dr Josh Doble, reflects on the main findings of research on the impact of community land ownership in locations which were previously under monopoly ownership. Scotland has an exciting opportunity in the next six months as we await the Land Reform Bill

Conduit Finance managing director Jamie Davidson looks at how Scotland can learn from the German capital's rent cap alternative to instead accelerate social housing. Translated it means rent cover. It's relevant in the context of the Scottish rent freeze & cap. There was an interesting announcem

Dr Gareth Young delves into the complex challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, from discrimination to homelessness and what still needs to be done.

Jodie Fullerton, the service development officer (customers and communication) at West Lothian Council, shares what it was like to win at the CIH Scotland Housing Awards.

CaCHE director Professor Ken Gibb responds to the recent proposal to change the multipliers for higher band council tax properties to increase revenue for local government. A joint paper by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) was released yesterday as par

Ahead of Scottish Housing Day in September, Mhairi Harley, a recent graduate who joined SFHA from Yoker Housing Association, shares her views on housing as a career. Having recently graduated with a degree in Social and Public Policy, I am driven by a sense of social justice and a desire to mak

Alice Tooms-Moore discusses Shelter Scotland's research on the barriers faced by people from minoritised ethnic groups accessing a social home, highlighting the evidence given and research findings. Shelter Scotland has published details of a research project on the barriers faced by people from min

Marcus Di Rollo, lettings director at Gilson Gray, argues that the Scottish Government's rent cap policy will hinder the availability of new homes. In recent weeks, we’ve heard about a handful of city centre properties in Glasgow being turned into student accommodation – including the fo