Opinion

Kelly Fraser offers advice for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who may be wondering how to deal with governance issues, including the requirements to convene meetings, during the current coronavirus pandemic. The main question is whether it is necessary to hold a general meeting. There is no expr

The response from the homelessness sector to COVID-19 continues at pace. Assessing whether the measures introduced in the past two weeks are the right ones, and what aspects we might want to retain, must be guided by people with expertise both as practitioners and through their own lived experience,

Kelly Fraser outlines changes to the way public bodies respond to freedom of information requests as part of the emergency COVID-19 law. The new Coronavirus (Scotland) Act which passed the Scottish Parliament on 1 April 2020, contains provisions to extend the deadlines under the Freedom of Informati

We have all heard the phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” and it seems very appropriate in the rental market at this extremely difficult time, writes Stephanie Zak. Landlords must, of course, seek to help tenants who are struggling to pay – by offering rent holidays or other conc

TC Young's Jim Bauld outlines what the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act means for antisocial tenants. The Scottish Parliament has moved to pass emergency legislation to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 is now on the statute books.

Shepherd and Wedderburn’s Michael Henderson issues a guide for landlords on managing relationships with tenants during the current crisis. Landlords and tenants alike are under extreme pressure to maintain their obligations under commercial lease terms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restriction

Chris Dunn, partner at Brodies LLP, details the current issues facing Scottish housing associations in terms of banking and finance in the current COVID-19 climate. Amongst the multitude of issues currently facing housing associations during the COVID-19 pandemic, one focus of FDs and boards ne

Harper Macleod partner Collette Miller offers some practical guidance for social landlords looking to sign up new tenants during the current pandemic. Many social landlords in Scotland are having to adapt, along with the rest of us, to new ways of working in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the

With emergency legislation being passed in the Scottish Parliament this week, Homeless Action Scotland’s policy manager takes a quick look at what this means for the sector and some of the challenges services might face in the future. The Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill complements and supplements

Neil Casey at Shepherd and Wedderburn guides landlords through the emergency changes to housing legislation in Scotland. The Scottish Government has passed the Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill, which will now become law. These emergency provisions are due to expire on 30 September 2020, although minister

Ailsa Thomson breaks down the Scottish Government's policy to empower communities and ensure people benefit more fairly from Scotland's land. As part of the Scottish Government's policy to empower communities and ensure people benefit more fairly from Scotland's land, on 26 April 2020 the right to b

In his second blog as Scottish Housing News’ temporary special correspondent on homelessness, Homeless Network Scotland’s head of external relations Martin Gavin gives his take on the Emergency Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill. Homelessness is unlikely to be one of the enduring memories of th

CIH Scotland national director Callum Chomczuk makes the case for parliament and the housing sector to do more to safeguard women and children experiencing domestic abuse during the current lockdown. As the country enters its second week of the lockdown, a measure intended to protect us all, it is c

In the first of a series of outputs exploring the key issues raised by the coronavirus pandemic, Prof David Robinson considers whether the social and economic constraints imposed by the ‘lockdown’ might make us all feel a little more empathy for those older people (and other fellow citiz

As Crisis officially launches an emergency grants fund for local homelessness charities today, the charity’s head of best practice Chris Hancock explains more.