The Scottish Housing News Podcast

As social housing organisations across the country navigate a host of issues from an inadequate number of affordable homes, a cost of living crisis and an ageing population, for those working and living in rural areas, these issues are compounded by a unique set of circumstances such as a lack of local services and an exodus of young families. Two people coming up with innovative solutions to tack...

Following the appointment of a new minister for housing, we assembled a panel of former guests for a snap reaction. David Bookbinder, the director of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations and Jane Wood, the Homes for Scotland chief executive, join Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to tell us what they think should be on Paul McLennan’s agenda and gives us their thoughts on wh...

It was back in December that the Scottish Government agreed to progress legislation proposed by Scottish Labour MSP Alex Rowley that will, they said, “introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all new-build housing to meet the Passivhaus standard, or a Scottish equivalent, in order to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance”. Net zero minister Patrick Harvie said at the ti...

ALACHO, the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers, brings together those tasked with dealing with a multitude of issues which are increasingly shaped by worldwide events. The Covid pandemic led to emergency measures on rents and evictions, while the ongoing conflict in Ukraine prompted efforts to provide homes for refugees. Even the damp and mould in people’s homes can be traced ba...

The ongoing regeneration of Dalmarnock and the surrounding area has long fascinated Jimmy Black, both from a personal and professional point of view, so we decided to speak to two people at the heart of it. Until recently, Martin McKay was the executive director of regeneration at Clyde Gateway, the urban regeneration organisation which is leading much of the transformation of the area, but has si...

Josiah Lockhart took the helm of Changeworks late last year to help implement the environmental charity's new focus on decarbonising Scotland’s homes. Josiah joins Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to discuss Changeworks' new purpose, the enormity of the challenge and the tools and resources the charity is using to meet the challenge head on. He also gives his views on the Scottish Government's plans...

Continuing with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) theme, we discuss whether housing associations, membership bodies and other organisations within the sector should be looking to increase diversity among staff, leadership and at board level. Why is it important? And what resources are available for those looking to attract a broader range of backgrounds and experiences? Joining Kieran an...

Housing Options Scotland and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) have come together to produce a series of 'In Conversation' blogs and podcast-style recordings which tell stories about why accessible and inclusive housing, and housing-related services, are key to people’s lives. Recognising a gap in evidence and recorded lived experience for protected characteristics, they wan...

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act gives Ministers temporary powers to cap rent increases for private and social tenants, as well as for student accommodation, until at least 31 March 2023, effectively freezing rents for most tenants during this period. The legislation also prevents the enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the current cost of living crisis and includes...

Back in 2020, Caledonia Housing Association carried out a comprehensive staff survey to review the impact of new working arrangements during lockdown and ensure staff are provided with the support to adapt to new practices and maintain key services for tenants. The survey was a part of the formation and implementation of its 'Agile for Everyone' programme - a new way of working which affords staff...

The National Housing and Dementia Forum has published a report that sets out recommendations for how the Scottish Government and partner organisations can better support people to live well with dementia. Over the past year, the Forum gathered evidence from a wide range of experts and people with lived experience of dementia. Co-chairs Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland,...

Social housing tenants have a statutory right to have a say in the running of their homes, but what does that mean in practice? TPAS Scotland has been providing support in this very field for over 40 years and has launched a new campaign to help housing organisations and tenants to build better relationships as we recover from the pandemic. To discuss this campaign and all things tenant participat...

Ahead of Homes for Scotland's Annual Conference 2022, Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay speak to the organisation's new CEO Jane Wood who is just three months into her new post. We discuss developer contributions and the recent Homes for Scotland research on the extent of affordable housing contributions by private developers, NPF4 and the availability of land, as well as the need to define modern me...

Ahead of a BiteSize Briefing on the Future of High Rise Housing to be held later this month, Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay lead a roundtable discussion on the topic with SHARE's learning & development officer Debra Campbell, who is organising the event, Stephen Llewellyn, head of housing solutions at North Lanarkshire Council, and Mairi Clark, marketing and events officer at SHARE and herself...

Jack Rillie is the man charged with leading a new Alliance which aims to eradicate homelessness by 2030. According to Jack, if the same service providers are delivering the same services in 8 years' time as they do at the moment then he'll have "monumentally failed" in his job. Only a few days into his new post, Jack joined Scottish Housing News editor Kieran Findlay and co-host Jimmy Black to dis...

From 1 October, the Coronavirus Recovery and Reform Act abolishes mandatory grounds for repossession (ie for eviction) and the First Tier Tribunal will only evict where the members believe it to be reasonable in the circumstances. Given these significant changes, Scottish Housing News editor Kieran Findlay interviewed Daryl McIntosh from Propertymark, while co-host Jimmy Black spoke to Labour MSP...

Scottish Housing News editor Kieran Findlay and co-host Jimmy Black embark on a whistle-stop tour of housing issues with Housing Quality Network CEO Alistair McIntosh taking in housing standards, Grenfell, regulation, tenant representation and much more. Alistair helped to set up the arm's length organisation which operated Grenfell Tower and remembers the strong, capable tenants involved at the s...

Last month a survey commissioned by Places for People Scotland revealed some of the stigmas that still surround social housing in Scotland. To discuss this in detail, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black sit down with Places For People Scotland’s managing director Tom Norris who reveals the mixed results of the survey, his solutions to help eradicate stigma and how Places For People Scotland are impleme...

Jimmy Black attends the recent Holyrood launch of the Scottish Housing with Care Taskforce report and speaks to some of those in attendance including Paul McLennan MSP to get a range of views about Housing with Care and how Scotland can meet the challenge of housing an ageing population. Then Kieran Findlay sits down with Gareth Lyon, director of policy and communications at ARCO (Associated Retir...

The use of the term ‘affordable’ has been helpful to those who deliver homes in Scotland, but for others, it has become vague and redundant. Michael Carberry of Blochairn Housing Association is one of the latter. Thankfully, he agreed to come on to the podcast to air his views. John Blackwood from the Scottish Association of Landlords tackles the affordability question for landlords and tenants in...

Scottish Empty Homes Partnership national project manager Shaheena Din joins Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay to discuss the number of empty homes in Scotland and outline why local authorities should have an Empty Homes Officer and empty homes strategy. Scottish Empty Homes Partnership - https://emptyhomespartnership.scot/ Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode, here: https://www.sc...

Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay are joined by Kirsty McKechnie, early warning system project manager at the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland,and Aaron Hill, director of membership and policy at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, for a fascinating discussion on poverty and inequality where they find much to agree on about the links between housing and social security. SFHA - http...

Two days later than usual, this episode sees Simon Payne, category manager at Stirling Council, and Hugh Carr, head of strategic procurement at Scotland Excel, steer Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay through the world of public sector procurement and discuss how the current framework process helps alleviate much of the current challenges. Stirling Council - https://stirling.gov.uk/ Scotland Excel - h...

Fresh from the 20th anniversary celebrations of the community buy out on the Isle of Gigha,  Community Land Scotland chair Ailsa Raeburn joins Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay to share the community successes, highlight the transformation of the island’s homes and discuss the parallels between community enterprises and community-based housing associations. Community Land Scotland - https://www....

Shelter Scotland’s deputy director Gordon MacRae and Martin Gavin, improvement lead at Homeless Network Scotland, join Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay to discuss the present homelessness situation in Scotland. Despite strong cross-party consensus on eradicating homelessness and the strong partnerships between government, councils, health, social care and the third sector, the number of homelessness...