Ariane Burgess

This year’s theme, “Everyone Needs Good Neighbours”, highlights the importance of strong communities in improving wellbeing, affordability, and sustainability in housing.

She said: “As we mark ten years of Scottish Housing Day, it’s clear that good housing is about more than bricks and mortar - it’s about people, place, and empowerment. Scotland has the opportunity, if it’s bold with the Housing Bill, to lead the way in reimagining housing through cooperative models, placemaking, and community ownership.”

Cohousing and Cooperatives: A New Vision for Neighbourhoods

Scotland is home to a growing movement of cohousing and housing cooperatives, where residents collectively shape their living environments. These models offer affordable, sustainable homes while fostering social connection and mutual support.

Projects like Hope Cohousing in Orkney show how older people can live independently while benefiting from a supportive community. These initiatives are not only tackling isolation but also offering long-term solutions to Scotland’s housing needs.

Ariane is calling for housing cooperatives to be exempt from Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, recognising their unique contribution to affordability and community wellbeing. Removing this barrier would help more groups take ownership of their housing futures.

Empowering Communities to Lead

The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has laid the foundation for a more participatory housing system. Through asset transfers and community-led regeneration funds, local people are gaining the tools to shape their own futures.

Scotland has made progress, but it needs to go further. To that end Ariane has secured ongoing funding for community housing enablers, who work across the country - especially in rural areas - to support communities in developing their own housing solutions. These enablers are vital to unlocking local potential and ensuring no community is left behind.

Placemaking and Local Living

Scotland’s placemaking agenda is transforming how we think about housing. The Place Guide and Town Centre First Principle encourage investment in vibrant, walkable communities where homes, services, and green spaces are integrated.

Ariane Burgess added: “Local living isn’t just a policy – it’s a promise to build neighbourhoods where people can thrive. From rural villages to urban centres, placemaking is helping us create places that are not only liveable but lovable.”

To go further, Ms Burgess advocates for retrofitting more town centre properties -especially flats above shops - to bring homes closer to amenities and boost footfall in local high streets. She is also urging the Scottish Government to review and strengthen compulsory purchase powers, and to introduce compulsory sales and rental orders to bring empty properties back into use as homes.

Ariane is calling for continued support for community-led housing and cooperative models as part of Scotland’s housing future. She concluded: “Let’s celebrate the neighbours, communities, and cooperatives that are building a better Scotland – one home at a time.”