In its legacy report published this week, the Committee said the review would ideally take place early in the next parliamentary session, and be backed by ongoing scrutiny, regular stakeholder engagement and greater use of specialist expertise to strengthen oversight, including closer examination of its use of informal engagement, statutory powers and external consultants.

During its own parliamentary term, the Committee scrutinised the work of the SHR amid concerns over the regulatory body’s impact on community-led housing organisations.

“As stated previously, we believe our successor committee should monitor the position of housing cooperatives within Scotland’s housing sector, in particular, what actions the SHR and the Scottish Government take to ensure that the sector is able to grow,” the report stated.

It added: “We believe regular consideration each year thereafter on how the SHR has progressed areas of interest would be beneficial. We believe scrutiny of the SHR is an area where the appointment of an adviser to the Committee or the procurement of specialist research could add value.”

In a parliamentary speech in April 2023, Evelyn Tweed MSP highlighted serious concerns about the way that the SHR conducted its work with housing associations and that issues had been raised with her by constituents and others. Her concerns were covered extensively by Scottish Housing News at the time.

Welcoming the Committee’s recommendation for enhanced scrutiny, Ms Tweed said: “Throughout my time in office, I have consistently sought answers from the SHR on behalf of a constituent regarding serious concerns, including prima facie evidence of bullying and potential misuse of statutory powers at Dalmuir Park Housing Association. The SHR declined to undertake an independent investigation or release relevant information under FOI legislation.

“Since raising these concerns, I have also been contacted by other housing associations and co-ops reporting similar issues. This level of scrutiny is long overdue.”

Ms Tweed has worked to improve the transparency and accountability of the SHR, including through an amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, which introduced a right of appeal against its decisions to the First-tier Housing Tribunal.

She added: “Since the SHR’s inception, serious concerns have been raised with the Parliament, which is charged with overseeing it, about a culture of fear associated with regulatory interventions and the conduct of those acting on its behalf. This can stifle innovation and undermine community ownership.

“There are serious concerns that regulatory intervention, involving a small pool of consultants charging over £1,000 per day, can place pressure on community-based housing associations to merge with larger organisations. Around 20 have been lost over the past decade.

“When the SHR intervenes, tenants are left footing the bill and, in some cases, communities lose control without clear evidence of better outcomes. Yet Parliamentary scrutiny is not structured to get to the bottom of these issues, meaning they too often fall through the gaps.

“Momentum must not be lost as Parliament moves into a new session. While committees need flexibility, public bodies that are accountable to Parliament must be subject to a more structured and consistent approach to scrutiny.

“Although I am standing down as an MSP, I will remain active as a campaigner for better regulation and governance. I am confident that the independent appeals process I introduced will improve accountability, and I look forward to seeing how both the SHR appeals process and enhanced Committee scrutiny develop in the future.”