Opinion

Jimmy Black thinks the rest of us have a lot to learn from Perth & Kinross, and Aberdeenshire. Let’s ask a hard question. Why is homelessness so low in Perth & Kinross when over in West Dunbartonshire it’s very high? Why are the figures in Aberdeenshire so much better than they a

In a Scottish Housing News exclusive, Ben Glennon, associate architect at Aitken Turnbull discusses how architects can play a key role in lessening the hardships of living with dementia. The number of adults living with dementia and other cases of cognitive ageing worldwide is expected to increase f

Affordable, scalable retrofit can be achieved in a way that gives financial power to communities and transforms them for the better according to Rufus Grantham, co-founder at not-for-profit community interest corporation Living Places. Writing ahead of BE-ST Fest, a two-day industry summit taking pl

Property membership body Propertymark argues that the Scottish Government should utilise empty homes, infrastructure and tourism experts to increase the number of homes in rural areas.

Duncan Bauchop delves into the repercussions of recent legislative changes in Scotland's private rental sector, discussing how emergency provisions and impending long-term rent controls are impacting landlords and tenants, potentially eroding the housing base. On 2nd June 2020, residents of Eas

What is a housing professional and how do you become such a thing? Jimmy Black tries to think like a 17-year-old school leaver.

Citizens Advice Scotland has said landlords are flouting a law that is intended to stop them evicting tenants and imposing large rent increases. Writing in The Herald, CAS Housing spokesperson Aoife Deery elaborates. Last month the Scottish Parliament voted to extend the cap on rent increases and li

Lesley Grant and Kimberley Tochel of BTO Solicitors LLP flag risks for employers following a recent ruling. An employee claiming disability discrimination has been awarded more than £134,000 in compensation. The recent Employment Tribunal judgment in Brosnan v Coalo Limited underscores the ass

John Forster, chair and founder of Forster Group, Scotland's largest integrated solar roofing business, discusses the affordability challenge of the emerging era of electrification. Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net

Gregor Duthie analyses the burgeoning growth of the student accommodation industry in Scotland, highlighting the surge in demand, the transformation of traditional housing options, and the strategic considerations developers must address to meet evolving student preferences and requirements. Over th

Ahead of an upcoming webinar on homelessness prevention, James Mullaney and Ursula Hofeldt highlight how people who work or volunteer in local communities can play a role.

Si­mon Com­mu­nity Scotland has launched an in­no­va­tive yet ob­vi­ous so­lu­tion to pro­vide a permanent home, writes Dan Don­ald. October 10th is World Homeless Day, providing an important chance for us all to consider the impact of our homes o

Dr Jenny Preece, a research associate at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, explores the dynamics of Home Improvement Services, their challenges, and the pursuit of an 'ideal' service. In July we asked policy makers, practitioners and researchers with an interest in home improvem

Jimmy Black reflects on recent criticism of Scotland's planning system and outlines an interesting legal case which involves NPF4 and West Lothian's Local Development Plan.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, outlines the touch decisions on climate change that await the Scottish Government. The realities of climate change, and their direct link to difficult public spending decisions, are now on our doorstep.