Opinion

A recent study conducted on behalf of the Legal Services Agency seeks to examine the valuation of compensation awards in the two years following the introduction of the Letting Agent Code of Practice. LSA volunteers and Glasgow School of Law graduates Alice Dalkin, Caitlin Perring&nbs

Lorna Wilson shares initial findings into research from SFHA, JRF, Public Health Scotland, and RIHAF into the social, economic, health, and wellbeing impact of social housing. No one can dispute the importance of good quality affordable housing – but many people may not be aware of the wider i

Having contributed to a report by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Shelter Scotland, and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland which called for the Scottish Government to commit to delivering 53,000 affordable homes, Dr Philip O’Brien and Dr Richard Dunning r

A poor understanding of the updated Euroclass fire rating standard is bringing additional cost, confusion and quality issues to a sector faced with recladding up to 700 high rise building in Scotland alone, says Gillian Thomson. Replacing BS476, the European rating system EN13501-1 was updated in 20

In the first in a series of blogs about how planning can respond to new and old challenges, planning minister Kevin Stewart offers some thoughts about recent events and what the future might bring for our places and people. The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has made many of us ref

Jon Sparkes provides a summary of progress from the latest Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) meeting last Thursday. Proposals for how to end homelessness in response to the coronavirus pandemic are now currently with the Scottish Government for consideration. Last week the Homele

Today, 21 third sector organisations that care about ending homelessness in Scotland, known collectively as Everyone Home, (SHN 21/05/20) publish their first route-map to help guide the sector out of lockdown and the emergency measures put in place during March to accommodate people sleeping outside

Derek Logie details the needs of Scotland's rural locations in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “The Highlands have been subject to steady de-population for the last half-century and have been treated like a dying patient to whom people have been handing out hot gruel, etc., with the

The Scottish Government needs to encourage investment in Later Living and, in turn, provide a boost for the construction industry, says residential property specialist Rodney Whyte.  A significant realignment in practically every part of our society is inevitable as we get to grips with life as

The combined data on the Housing First Scotland Pathfinder programme is now available covering both April and May, when housing allocations all but stopped. Significant additional pressure across the public and charity sectors, including organisations delivering support to tenants, has been on a sca

City of Edinburgh Council’s housing, homelessness and fair work convener, Councillor Kate Campbell, outlines the phenomenal response from organisations working to prevent homeless during the pandemic. The council’s homelessness service has been working with the Scottish Government, third

Kieran Tait is one of two staff members at Hillhead Housing Association working in the office whilst it remains closed. Here he shares how he has worked to keep vital systems going, help tenants with rents & repairs, and to support the rest of the staff who are all working from home. Tuesday 26

After last weeks’ launch of Affordable Housing Need in Scotland Post-2021, Callum Chomczuk, Sally Thomas and Alison Watson press the case for 53,000 new affordable homes. CIH Scotland, SFHA and Shelter Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to build 53,000 affordable homes over the ne

Scotland has some of the most progressive housing legislation in the world, but structural, political and financial failures have meant we've yet to change the reality for most homeless people, says Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson. If politics is the art of the possible, then the Scotti

This week, Kevin Stewart MSP, Scotland’s housing minister, along with senior Scottish Government officials, had the opportunity to meet via video link four members of All in For Change, people with their own lived experience of homelessness. Homeless Network Scotland’s change lead M