Even where properties are of a good standard, vulnerable residents can still face poor health and wellbeing if they cannot afford to heat and ventilate their homes properly. Current support can also be reactive, with help sometimes provided only after problems have already caused harm.

A new Challenge through the Scottish Government’s CivTech Accelerator is seeking a solution which can help registered social landlords identify where housing conditions, fuel poverty and individual vulnerability combine to create the greatest risk.

Current solutions mean that by the time tenants are referred for support, health and wellbeing issues have often already escalated with many needing referred to a doctor. These issues are further exacerbated by those living with disabilities, mental health disorders and for non-divergent people.

Karen Pollock is a community health & wellbeing assistant at Cloch Housing Association, the sponsors of the challenge. She says fuel poverty is a multi-faceted problem.

“I have experience supporting a tenant who has autism,” Karen said. “For him, speaking on the phone was particularly difficult, so he struggled to call us for a referral or to reach out for support.

“After discovering through a routine tenancy visit that he was living in fuel poverty, we were able to support him with his financial concerns and ensure he was receiving the disability payments he was entitled to. Through this, we were not only able to improve his living conditions but also give him the confidence to seek further help and access the wider support available to him.

“That’s why early intervention is so vital. Had we been able to identify these issues earlier, he could have received the support he needed and gained that confidence long before reaching his 50s.”

Once completed, the successful CivTech Challenge solution should turn that insight into practical action, allowing landlords to intervene earlier, target support more effectively, improve tenants’ health and wellbeing, protect homes and make better use of limited resources.

The Challenge is sponsored by Cloch Housing Association and is open to companies and individuals from all over the world. It has a potential contract value of up to £650,000.

CivTech is the Scottish Government’s flagship technology Accelerator, bringing together public sector expertise and private sector innovation to develop solutions to real problems and create better public services. Since launching in 2016, companies taking part in CivTech have created more than 400 jobs, with every £1 of public investment in the programme leveraging around £5 in private funding.

Robert Pollock, chief executive officer of Cloch Housing Association, said: “For our tenants, living in fuel poverty has a major impact on every part of their lives.  Not only is their physical health put at risk but also their mental wellbeing. We have seen many tenants experiencing feelings of anxiety or shame because of their situation, leading them to socially isolate.

“We have many measures in place to assist people who may be struggling such as providing them with fuel vouchers. But it can be difficult for us to identify who may be in a vulnerable situation and intervene early, especially when tenants are living in well insulated homes but may still be struggling to pay their energy bills.

“Through developing a technological solution, housing associations and landlords could identify vulnerable tenants earlier and intervene before physical and mental health issues worsen.”

Earlier intervention can also deliver wider social benefits. By preventing or reducing health problems associated with cold and damp homes, support can help reduce the need for medical treatment and ease pressure on NHS services.

Karen added: “The issue of fuel poverty and cold homes isn’t just about affordability. It’s part of a much wider picture, with a range of social and economic challenges affecting a tenant’s circumstances.

“For some, it might be loneliness and simply needing someone to speak to and listen to them. For others, there may be repairs that need addressed or additional support they aren’t currently accessing. Once we begin addressing those wider issues, we can really see tenants regain their confidence and start to flourish.

“What we need is targeted support so that we can intervene before issues escalate.”

This new Challenge is one of six being launched through CivTech Round 12, supported by £5.7 million in investment. The other five are seeking solutions focused on issues including demonstrating the commercial value of circular economy business practices and improving the efficiency and patient experience of NHS transport.

CivTech Round 12 is open for applications for the next six weeks, with interested parties invited to submit proposals through Public Contracts Scotland.

Applications for the Round 12 Challenges close at noon on Tuesday 20 October. Successful applicants will progress through the CivTech selection process before the Exploration Stage begins in January 2027 and the Accelerator begins in March 2027.

For more information on the CivTech Scotland process, visit www.civtech.scot/process.