Insight

The Construction Industry Training Board’s CEO, Tim Balcon, unveils what he thinks the year ahead looks like for the homebuilding industry.  The homebuilding challenge will continue to put the construction sector under pressure in 2025 and will need wholescale, ongoing collaboration cross

As housing and homelessness organisations call on the Scottish Government to publicly commit to defending legal rights to safe and suitable housing, Mhairi Snowden, head of policy and programmes at Homeless Network Scotland, said urgent reassurance is required. It is vital that we keep the housing r

When retrofitting listed buildings, Thomas & Adamson director Hamish Paterson suggests that the main concern is finding the balance between modern sustainability goals and protecting history and heritage in our towns and cities. Decarbonisation of the built environment is a complex challenge, wi

Professor Kim McKee highlights the growing challenges in the UK’s private rental sector, including affordability, tenancy insecurity, and the diverse needs of renters.

Researchers in the social sciences are increasingly using innovative methodologies to promote collaboration and generate impact. Appreciative Inquiry (AI – not to be confused with Artificial Intelligence) is one such approach. This blog by Dr Gareth James highlights the principles, strengths

The prospect of sharing your home with unwanted pests is a bad enough thought. However, it is a challenge that many are having to endure as effective pest control in the urban environments of our towns and cities continues to become harder. Chris Cagienard, managing director of Glasgow-based Pe

Albyn Housing Society CEO Kirsty Morrison highlights the importance of having enough homes important it is to ensure there are enough homes should the proposed Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and other initiatives in the Highlands are going to be successful. It has now been over six mont

Following on from the recent publication of the Scottish Housing Regulator's (SHR) thematic review of tenant and Gypsy/Traveller participation in social housing in Scotland, TPAS Scotland executive director Jaqueline Norwood takes a closer look at its findings and recommendations relating to Gypsy/T

The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence discusses the possible steps for achieving housing adequacy and affordable private rents in Wales. Last year Welsh Government published a Green Paper calling for evidence on Securing a path towards Adequate Housing – including Fair Rents and Aff

Very few in Scotland’s real estate sector are currently satisfied with the existing planning system. The question then is how best to alleviate the issues that currently challenge the public and private sector parties with an interest in this key industry. Lee Murphy, a planning consultan

Mel Esquerre, an Edinburgh resident and retrofit campaigner, shares her experience of the City of Edinburgh Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) scheme and her concerns that people are being harmed as a result. In the last month alone, five different neighbours have approached me, anxio

Jocelyne Fleming, policy & public affairs lead for Scotland at the CIOB shares refreshed insights from the social housing sector one year on from an original research report. Last year I had the opportunity to work with housing association representatives to identify challenges they face in the

As the Housing (Scotland) Bill continues its passage through the Scottish Parliament, Professor Douglas Robertson's overview of the main findings of the RentBetter research project led by Indigo House and funded by the Nationwide Foundation considers affordability and rent controls. The RentBetter r

One year after the City of Edinburgh Council began implementing Scotland’s short-term let rules, Airbnb says its new analysis shows the licensing scheme has failed to have any impact on the affordable housing crisis in Edinburgh. 

Accountant Stuart Beattie shares what housing associations can do to limit the impact of current challenges and calls for greater government support to help organisations meet their obligations. Earlier this month I attended the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) Finance Conference,