Scottish Housing Day is an annual event which aims to raise awareness of the challenges and successes in Scotland’s housing sector, as well as encouraging the sector and members of the public to get involved by organising events, Q & A sessions, and sharing stories and blogs via social media.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Scottish Housing Day and to celebrate, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and partners are launching a new report on the subject of ‘everybody needs good neighbours’ at a special event at the Wheatley Academy in Glasgow. Informed by feedback from both housing professionals and tenants, the report reflects on attitudes towards neighbours and neighbourhoods and makes a number of recommendations for the public sector and local people to help drive systemic improvements across our communities.

Commenting on the report, CIH Scotland’s national director and chair of the Scottish Housing Day working group Callum Chomczuk said: “We know that good neighbours and strong communities can lead to positive outcomes for individuals including social support, reduced loneliness and better physical health.”

“However, we also know that realisation of this across the country is patchy, peoples’ experiences are not consistent and so often, the power local people have to direct change is a consequence of other organisations and agencies.”

“As we celebrate ten years of Scottish Housing Day, we hope that this report will encourage a nationwide discussion around the value of strong, connected communities and are looking forward to welcoming delegates to our event in Glasgow today to continue the conversation.”

The Scottish Housing Day working group partners added: “For all of us, homes matter, but we also know a house on its own isn’t enough; it’s our neighbours and neighbourhoods that make us feel at home and help to enhance our sense of wellbeing.

“In a world where the pressures on our communities are increasing significantly, a focus on the things that make us all feel safe will be more important than ever and we hope that today’s report will help to highlight some practical things that we can all do to create stronger, more connected neighbourhoods.”