Insight

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,

Jill Pritchard, an occupational therapist and workplace and business change consultant, highlights the transformational impact of housing solutions in helping people to live independently. The role of occupational therapists working in the community is a critical one and covers a wide range of inter

The Salvation Army's Helen Murdoch looks back over the recent Annual Homelessness Conference which served as a reminder of the benefits of collaboration when tackling homelessness. The arrival of winter weather this week is a chilling reminder that far too many people in Scotland are housed in unsui

Councillor James Dalgleish, planning convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, writes about a bold and ambitious plan agreed last week by councillors to make better use of land in the capital. Edinburgh’s population is growing fast and so a major highlight of City Plan 2030 is setting aside e

Muir Group executive chairman John Muir argues that the recent cut to interest rates is a welcome boost for Scotland's housebuilders. It is no surprise that the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates will have been welcomed by homebuilders up and down the country. With it comes more

Thomas & Adamson's Greig Fenton highlights the critical role of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) in the journey towards net zero for housing stock. The journey to net zero can seem a large, ominous, and expensive undertaking for housing providers. Some 2.9 million homes are owned by housin

At a time of housing emergencies across the country, Scottish structural engineer Alan Ferns argues that demolishing RAAC-affected homes is not the only answer. It sometimes feels that, in the opaque realm of official decision-making, the temptation to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut is just too h

After plans for a mixed-use development that includes a 60-bed care home in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh were given the green light, Craig Sanderson reveals what the planning history of the site means for future affordable housing developments.

Homelessness is a growing crisis in Scotland, with over 40,000 applications for assistance made in 2022-23, the highest in over a decade. In May 2024, the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency, responding to the stark need for more affordable and safe housing. At the forefront of address

Scottish Procurement Alliance (SPA) regional director Lesley Anderson discusses the firm's AGM and why community investment is not just an opportunity, but a responsibility. As we navigate an era of rapid change, the need for strong, resilient communities has never been greater.