News

A new report from the British Red Cross has exposed how refused asylum seekers are trapped in a life of destitution in Scotland. The number of destitute refugees and asylum seekers helped by the charity in Glasgow increased from 326 in 2014 to 820 in 2016.

Jim McCormick At least 2,000 people with direct personal experience of the current social security system are being recruited to help shape Scotland’s new system.

The amount of money loaned to young Scots from the Bank of Mum and Dad has increased by almost a third but with fewer expected to pay the family back, according to a survey. New research from Bank of Scotland has found that last year Bank of Mum and Dad loaned almost a third (29%) more money to thei

A joint venture between developer Moda Living and investment manager Apache Capital is to deliver 525 new homes for rent in Edinburgh city centre in a multi-million pound deal which will also include the purchase of 46 existing private rented homes. Property firm Grosvenor Britain & Ireland has

Glasgow City Council has approved a long term housing plan for Govanhill that has earmarked £6.4 million to allow housing associations to build 350 new homes in the area. The funding for the new homes will be channelled through housing associations over the next four years with eight sites in the a

Melville Housing Association is to invest nearly £1.6 million in upgrades to tenants’ homes over the next 12 months with the main focus being the replacement of older kitchens. Almost one in five of Melville’s original properties (those built before the 1995 transfer from Scottish Homes) are to

Following an extensive rent consultation with customers that resulted in a record 755 responses being received, the Board of River Clyde Homes has confirmed that the increase for 2017/18 will be restricted to the rate of inflation (2%), keeping a promise made two years ago. With 14% of customers res

West Whitlawburn Housing Co-operative (WWHC) has agreed to increase its rents by 2% for 2017/18 to meet its financial requirement for the upcoming year. An extensive consultation exercise was held with all tenants/members the WWHC management committee, all of whom are tenant/members themselves, who

South Ayrshire Council has become the last local authority in Scotland to agree its budget for the year ahead and the 21st to approve a three per cent rise in Council Tax. The decision to increase Council Tax was taken as councillors agreed a revenue budget of £192 million – as well as a delegate

Ewan Aitken Ewan Aitken of homelessness charity Cyrenians blogs ahead of Shelter Scotland’s Homelessness Conference 2017

Willie Innes East Lothian Council has called for government action to help mitigate the impact of Universal Credit on people living in the county.

Emily Lyall A woman who has spent her life in far-flung places has celebrated her 100th birthday at a Bield retirement housing development in Dundee.

Council Tax has been increased by the maximum of 3% as local authorities in North Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway became the latest to set budgets for the upcoming year. Despite having to find savings of around £9.3 million, North Ayrshire Council agreed a £326m revenue budget which it said g

Inspecting plans for the new homes at Alexandra are (from left) Brian Lafferty, head of business, housing property and projects; Councillor Barry McCulloch, convener of housing; Pamela Humphries, development manager and leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Jim Logue A former primary schoo

Wellhouse chair Maureen Morris Wellhouse Housing Association has fundamentally restructured its rent setting following a consultation with tenants.