The Scottish Housing News Podcast

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, Professor Duncan McLennan discusses the complexities of the Scottish housing system, addressing the notion of a housing emergency, the implications of the right to buy policy, and the urgent need for increased social housing.

Speaking with hosts Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black, he emphasises the economic impacts of housing, the importance of quality and location, and the challenges faced in rural housing markets. The conversation also touches on the role of government in housing policy, the necessity for disruption in current practices, and the future directions for housing in Scotland.

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, the discussion revolves around the proposed amendments to the Housing Scotland Bill, particularly focusing on homelessness prevention.

The conversation features insights from Susie Fitton, policy manager at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Meave McGoldrick, head of policy and communications at Crisis in Scotland, and John Mills, head of housing at Fife Council and co-chair of ALACHO, exploring the implications of the Bill, the role of local authorities, the importance of collaboration, and the challenges faced in implementing these changes.

The episode also addresses the need for a cultural shift in how homelessness is approached, emphasising prevention over crisis management, and the necessity for adequate resources and support systems to effectively tackle the issue.

Gillian Campbell, director of the Existing Homes Alliance, and CIH Scotland's policy and practice manager, Ashley Campbell, join Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to discuss the Scottish Government's newly revised Heat in Buildings Bill.

They explore the Bill's key provisions, its impact on industry, the challenges it faces, and the importance of balancing climate goals with fuel poverty. The conversation also highlights the need for effective communication and public awareness regarding energy efficiency, as well as the diverse solutions required for different properties.

The role of social landlords and the private rented sector in meeting energy efficiency standards is also examined, along with the pressing issue of energy costs.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/the-revised-heat-in-buildings-bill-with-gillian-campbell-and-ashley-campbell-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-ave-atque-vale-patrick-you-tried

Chapters

00:00 -Introduction to the Heat in Buildings Bill
03:02 - Key Provisions and Objectives of the Bill
06:08 - Impact on Industry and Investment
08:51 - Challenges and Concerns with the Bill
12:07 - Balancing Climate Goals and Fuel Poverty
15:02 - Communication and Public Awareness
17:56 - Diverse Solutions for Different Properties
21:11 - Role of Social Landlords in Energy Efficiency
24:11 - Private Rented Sector and Minimum Standards
27:00 - Addressing Energy Costs and Efficiency

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black catch up with Martin Wilkie McFarlane, who shares insights from his experience with Wellhouse Housing Association during a critical period of regulatory intervention.

The conversation explores the challenges faced by Wellhouse, the impact of regulatory actions, and the broader implications for the housing sector in Scotland.

Martin reflects on his career in housing, the ongoing homelessness crisis, and his future plans after leaving Wellhouse.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/martin-wilkie-mcfarlane-on-wellhouse-regulatory-intervention-and-more-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-my-fascinating-catch-up-with-martin-wilkie-mcfarlane

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

“Compulsory purchase reform is absolutely critical because we do need a backstop if landowners aren't prepared to come to the table on reasonable terms.”

In this episode, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black speak to two guests who have new proposals to help adequately house people living in rural areas.

Hamish Trench is the chief executive and accountable officer of the Scottish Land Commission, which has just published a new report that outlines various proposals to increase the supply of developable land and therefore the supply of affordable homes in rural areas.

And returning to the podcast is Ailsa Raeburn, chair of Community Land Scotland, which among other things has called for a Right to Live to be introduced to establish a legal right for people to live in the community where they grew up.

This podcast episode discusses the pressing issue of rural housing in Scotland, focusing on the challenges faced by communities in securing affordable homes. The conversation highlights the 'Right to Live' proposal aimed at ensuring local residents have access to housing, the importance of land supply for development, and the need for coordinated efforts among public bodies to address the housing crisis.

The guests emphasise the role of local authorities and the necessity of innovative solutions to support builders and developers in rural areas. The conversation delves into the pressing issues surrounding housing emergencies in Scotland, exploring the roles of compulsory purchase, taxation measures, and planning reforms.

The speakers discuss innovative strategies for housing development, the impact of the closure of Rural Housing Scotland, and the need for long-term solutions to ensure sustainable community growth. They emphasise the importance of collaboration across government and the necessity of creative thinking to address the housing crisis effectively.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/rural-housing-public-land-acquisition-and-the-right-to-live-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-more-equitable-land-ownership-can-put-future-of-rural-housing-on-solid-ground

Further reading:

“If we can get 90% of it right, I'd be delighted if somebody else came up with the other 10% and built on that. That's the history of social housing, right? Standing on the shoulders of giants and keeping getting better and better and better. We're just part of that chain.”

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black wrap up their series on accessible housing with an exploration into what it takes to deliver a fully accessible home.

Simon Fitzpatrick, the chief executive of Blackwood, shares the story behind a £17.5 million development that will bring 66 highly adapted, technologically advanced homes to the Charleston area of Dundee.

Each of the homes is equipped with Blackwood's CleverCogs technology and there’s also some larger properties based on the Blackwood House design, both of which are explained in this episode.

Recorded just days after the Housing & Social Care Accessibility Summit, the episode also includes discussions about the collaboration required to deliver a fully accessible development, measuring success and housing legacy.

“Partnership work is about relationships, it's knowing people, it's understanding each of us have roles and responsibilities but keeping in mind what we're all trying to achieve at the end of the day and that's the outcomes for people that live in our communities to allow them to thrive and survive.”

Continuing with their accessible housing series, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black focus on the link between housing and social care services with a look into a region where it is working really well.

Jacquie Pepper, chief officer/director at the Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership and Elaine Ritchie, strategic lead for Housing & Communities at Perth & Kinross Council,  share how their Independent Living Panel serves as a forum for partnership working between housing, PKHSCP and other agencies, including RSLs and care providers.

There’s a look into how Perth & Kinross has integrated technology into its social care services and why the Gannochy Trust estate provides an ideal development for care integration.

The episode ends with a plea from Elaine Ritchie for the Scottish Government to reinvest in affordable housing to ease the current pressure on services and advance its own poverty agenda.

Jacquie Pepper will join one of the panel sessions at the Housing & Social Care Accessibility Summit, which will take place at the V&A Dundee on September 26th.

A transcript of this episode is available here:

“If we don't grab and grab with both hands that prevention agenda, do more now, given we know what's coming our way from our demographics, then we are going to be in a much worse state than we are now in 10, 20 years time.”

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black continue their exploration of the current issues surrounding social care and accessible housing with Angela Currie, the chief executive of Hanover Scotland.

Angela talks about the difficulty in forging the cross-sector relationships required to deliver the level of service and quality of homes to its older residents, particularly with regard to procurement and strategic partnerships.

We look ahead to the results of the Scottish Housing Accessibility Standard consultation and look back on the legacy of the late Julia Fitzpatrick.

Hanover has recently come on board as a sponsor for the event, which will take place at the V&A Dundee on September 26th.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/accessible-housing-part-2-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-ijbs-and-the-sword-of-damocles

Further reading:

• The first part of our Accessible Housing series is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/podcast-accessible-housing-part-1-with-pam-duncan-glancy-msp

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

“You can't do all of the things that people take for granted if you can't get in and out of your house.”

“We have a theory of change which demonstrates the changes we are hoping to see in people's lives that will ultimately help us achieve our vision of a world where everyone has an equal chance to create a safe and supportive place to call home.”

Returning to the subject of homelessness, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black speak to two charities that between them have been operating in Scotland for almost 350 years.

Helen Murdoch and Janet Haugh provide brief histories of their respective charities, The Salvation Army and Right There, before turning the focus to current challenges.

We then discuss The Salvation Army’s Breaking the Cycle report, which recommends urgent collection of data on the number of people rough sleeping, along with cause-of-death data for anyone who dies while living in temporary accommodation, as well as the Right There Impact Report, which measured the saving to the public purse as a result of the support that it provides to people facing or experiencing homelessness.

“In crisis situations, don't try and save face in front of us. Tell us the warts and all. Tell us the reality of the situation here. If we're going in with one hand tied behind our back, then it isn't going to end well.”

In this episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black discuss the value of effective communications in the social housing sector with Sally Thomas, the chief executive at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, and Chris Fairbairn, an associate director at public relations consultancy Holyrood PR.

Social landlords have great stories to tell and its important to raise the reputation of your association and your work.

But what about when things aren’t going so well? The increased expectations of social landlords today bring ever-heightened scrutiny, and couple that with a cost of living crisis and a housing emergency then communicating the right message to the right people is crucial.

Listen to the guests share their insights on managing expectations against budget pressures, how landlords can recover their reputation amid a housing emergency and whether the ‘black arts’ are still practised by today’s PR companies.

Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay conclude their series on the Scottish Government’s new Housing Bill with an interview with the minister responsible for bringing the legislation through Parliament, housing minister Paul McLennan.

The wide-ranging discussion centred on measures in the proposed legislation such as rent controls, homelessness and domestic abuse.

Mr McLennan also shared details of the first meeting of the Housing Investment Taskforce, which he described as one of many avenues the Scottish Government is looking to boost housebuilding.

The minister also said he intends to share details on an action plan to tackle Scotland's housing emergency over the next few days after a Housing to 2040 strategy group meeting took place last week.

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black continue their look into the new Housing Bill with a look at the duties expected of social landlords regarding domestic abuse.

Under the proposed legislation, social landlords will have to provide support to tenants experiencing rent arrears or risk of homelessness due to domestic abuse, and to publish a policy on how it will exercise these functions.

To help explore what a domestic abuse policy could entail, and the key role that social landlords could have in tackling the issue, the panel included Michelle Meldrum, the chief executive at Berwickshire Housing Association, Eileen McMullan, policy lead at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, and returning to the podcast was Sophie Berry, a solicitor at Govan Law Centre.

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black put the Holyrood turmoil to one side and continue their exploration of various elements of the Scottish Government’s new Housing Bill with a look at proposed new homelessness prevention measures.

The legislation will introduce an ‘ask and act’ duty on social landlords and other bodies, such as health boards and the police, to ask about a person’s housing situation and take proactive steps to avoid them becoming homeless wherever possible.

But what could these proactive steps involve, do the measures go far enough or are they asking too much of already stretched resources? 

Ewan Aitken, the chief executive of homelessness charity Cyrenians, has the answers. Ewan co-chaired the Homelessness Prevention Task and Finish Group, on whose report, arguably, the homelessness elements of the new Housing Bill are based.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/housing-bill-part-2-homelessness-prevention-duties-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-homelessness-how-to-ask-act

Further reading: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/scottish-government-publishes-new-housing-bill

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

With the long-awaited Housing Bill finally here, hosts Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black will dedicate the next four episodes to digest various elements of the legislation, including homelessness and domestic abuse, culminating in an interview with housing minister Paul McLennan. But we begin the series with a discussion on increased rights for private tenants and, arguably the most contentious proposal, rent controls.

In previous episodes, we’ve heard tenants' union Living Rent say rent controls are absolutely vital to keep rents affordable and prevent people being priced out from living in Scotland’s cities. We’ve also spoken to landlords who argue that the measures will see reduced investment and more landlords leaving the sector, leading to higher costs for tenants.

To debate the merits of the Housing Bill and its impact on the private rented sector, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black speak to Dr John Boyle, the Director of Research & Strategy at Rettie.

Professor Douglas Robertson also contributed to this episode, but we had audio issues and so we can’t use the recording. However, you can find Douglas’ spirited contribution in the transcript.

"Technically heat networks aren't really difficult. It is just large-scale plumbing. The heat's already there, we're just moving it.”

With the Scottish Government’s New Build Heat Standard now in force, the installation of ‘direct emission’ systems for heating for new build homes and other buildings is now banned in Scotland.

Effectively, this means any new build applying for a building warrant will not be able to use polluting heating systems like oil and gas boilers and instead be powered by alternatives like heat pumps and heat networks.

But, how do these clean heating systems operate? And is the industry prepared to meet the huge demand for skills that is coming its way?

Eoghan Maguire is director of heat networks – Scotland at Vattenfall Heat UK, a company that has formed a joint venture with Midlothian Council to deliver low-carbon heating to thousands of homes, education and retail properties at the new town of Shawfair.

Eoghan describes the challenges and benefits of incorporating the large-scale project, which he believes can be a catalyst for other heat networks across Scotland.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/shawfair-and-clean-heating-networks-with-eoghan-maguire-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-shawfair-can-be-a-catalyst-for-large-scale-clean-heating

Further reading:

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/midlothian-council-and-vattenfall-form-joint-venture-to-deliver-low-carbon-heat-to-homes

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/first-pipes-installed-at-shawfair-lowcarbon-heating-project

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

“If we have a choice between a tenant having their home flooded or having to put on an extra jumper, which would you recommend?”

For anyone who has encountered architect Fionn Stevenson over her career, her answer to this question will be obvious. It forms part of her claim that a blanket one-size-fits-all fabric-first approach to retrofitting should make way for a considered make do and mend tactic, which considers and effectively measures the embodied carbon costs of building upgrades.

According to Fionn, there is plenty low-hanging fruit such as roof and cavity wall insulation still available for housing providers without having to tackle the “expensive faff” of additional external wall insulation.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/why-fabric-first-may-be-the-wrong-approach-for-retrofitting-podcast-transcript

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-make-do-and-mend

Further reading:

Almost a year since Scotland appointed its first dedicated housing minister, three councils have declared housing emergencies due to mounting pressures in their local housing systems and dozens of others could be set to follow.

Now housing bodies across Scotland are making a concerted effort to say that it's not just individual regions that are struggling but that the entire country is in the midst of an emergency.

But what is a housing emergency and why is a declaration important?

Joining Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to discuss their respective situations and whether they think the Scottish Government is taking any notice are Councillor Jane Meagher, the City of Edinburgh Council's housing convener, and Councillor Allan Casey, the city convener for workforce homelessness and addiction services at Glasgow City Council.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-my-thoughts-on-housing-emergencies

A transcription of this episode is available here:

With the Tenant Protection Bill’s in-tenancy rent cap and eviction measures due to expire in a matter of weeks, the Scottish Government has proposed an adjudication scheme to ease the transition until a long-awaited Housing Bill comes to pass.

Under the proposals, the process for rent adjudication will temporarily be modified from April 1st for one year. Any tenant who wishes to dispute a rent increase notice can apply to Rent Service Scotland or the First-tier Tribunal which will set a fair rent based on a taper formula set out in the new regulations.

But with just weeks before its implementation, it seems neither tenants nor landlords are happy with this new arrangement.

Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay speak to Calum Sanderson, a member of the tenants’ union Living Rent, and Susan Aktemel, who founded the UK’s first social enterprise letting agency Homes for Good, to find out if there’s another way.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here:

• https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-prs-uncertainty-benefits-no-one

Further reading:

Fresh from being recognised by CIH Scotland with a Lifetime Achievement award for having gone the extra mile during his career, Grampian Housing Association chief executive Craig Stirrat joins Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to talk about his 40 years in housing so far and the current challenges facing the housing sector.

Hear Craig's views on housing as a career, the cost-of-living crisis, Grampian Housing Association's future development plans and much more.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-talking-stock-transfers-reidvale-and-more-with-craig-stirrat

Further reading:

• You can catch up with all the news on Grampian Housing Association here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/tag/grampian-housing-association 

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

With Reidvale Housing Association currently considering its options after shareholders voted against a proposed transfer of engagements to Place for People Scotland, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black reflect on some of the issues that have been raised so far. 

They spoke to Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who was a prominent part of the campaign against the transfer and raised concerns about the process with the Scottish Parliament’s housing committee.

Paul shares those concerns, laments the loss of community-controlled housing associations more widely and sets out measures that he believes could protect them in the future.

Another issue raised by the shareholders’ vote is that the majority of Reidvale tenants who took part in the ballot will not now see the transfer they voted for. 

This is a concern shared by tenant participation and engagement specialist Lesley Baird, a former chief executive of TPAS Scotland who is concerned about a loss of voice for tenants.

Lesley also talks through the process of providing tenant advice during stock transfers and stresses the importance of having independent advisors, both to tenants and members.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-issues-from-the-reidvale-transfer-saga

Further reading:

You can catch up with all the news on Reidvale Housing Association here - https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/tag/reidvale-housing-association

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black step outside the Scottish social housing bubble to consider the impact of housing design in the aftermath of a disaster.

Earlier this year, architect and University of Dundee lecturer Laurence Wood took a group of Year 5 Architecture students to Turkey, which had just suffered from a terrible earthquake, to live in rural camps and experience the challenges of displaced people. 

Drawing on his experience of developing transitional housing in the Philippines and rebuilding New Orleans and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina, Laurance has been slowly developing research that brings local people and local materials to the forefront of post-disaster reconstruction.

As Scotland grapples with its own housing challenges, are there lessons to be learned about this expeditious approach?

This episode was recorded in Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce’s podcast studio on Dundee’s waterfront.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here:

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-can-post-disaster-reconstruction-inform-scotlands-own-housing-emergency

Further reading:

• They Live in the Dark’: Older people’s isolation and inadequate access to housing amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur50/7385/2023/en/

To get in touch with Laurence, email l.y.wood@dundee.ac.uk.

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

Kieran Findlay is joined by Steve Malone and Johnny Cadell, both principal architects at Architecture & Design Scotland, and Grant Baxter, the planning & building standards team leader at Clackmannanshire Council, to tell the story of a town centre development at Primrose Street in Alloa.

Together they share their experiences of working to support the multi-generational housing project, explore the collaborative policy, design, community engagement and procurement processes involved in the journey and reveal how the project became a catalyst for regeneration not just in the town centre, but in nearby Alva and across Clackmannanshire.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here:

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-placemakers-of-the-world-unite

Further reading:

It is difficult to remember a time when global, UK and national events have aligned so acutely to heap even more pressure on Scotland's local housing systems.

Committed professional sectors from across the housing, homelessness and refugee sectors gathered at Scotland's Annual Homelessness Conference on October 31st to unlock solutions to these unprecedented challenges.

So Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black packed up the recording equipment and headed to Perth Concert Hall for a special episode which captured the themes of the conference. Kieran chats to housing minister Paul McLennan about the Scottish Government's short and long-term plans to reverse the trend of homelessness before Jimmy catches up with Martin Smith, service manager at Perth and Kinross Council, a local authority that has achieved groundbreaking results on homelessness.

They reconvene for a roundtable discussion with Maggie Brünjes, Homeless Network Scotland's chief executive and Alan Jones, the housing manager for options and homelessness at Aberdeenshire Council, to share their thoughts on the conference and their asks of the Scottish Government. There will be biscuit chat!

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-homelessness-beating-the-backlog

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

Scottish Housing Day took place last month to celebrate careers across housing by showcasing the variety of roles and routes into the sector and making the case for housing to be recognised as an important and valued career.

But it also served to raise awareness of the need to replace a largely ageing workforce and  support the next generation of housing professionals to continue to meet the increased standards and challenges of the future.

The housing sector employs tens of thousands of professionals, but there is no sector-wide strategy on recruitment, retention or talent development - and there are concerns that young people especially are falling through the cracks.

Joining Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black on the latest episode of the Scottish Housing News Podcast were Collette Anderson, corporate services & innovation manager at Milnbank Housing Association; Julie‑Ann Cloherty​, learning and development officer at Share, and consultant Nicola Dillon.

The conversation touches on the struggle for housing associations to attract young people and how this is having an impact on recruitment. We then highlight the perception of housing and how this can be more accurately reflected before hearing about Share’s Young Housing Professionals Network and the Investors in Young People Framework.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here:

While financial pressures have undoubtedly played a huge part in a slowdown of new homes being delivered, there is a strong sense among housebuilders that the planning process is also having a detrimental impact.

A recent survey published by our sister publication Scottish Construction Now found that the statutory timeframe for the turnaround of planning applications is being routinely breached in Scotland, with readers blaming under-resourced planning departments and the implementation of NPF4 for increasing delays.

To find out more, Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay spoke to Janice Russell, the managing director at McTaggart Construction, which delivers hundreds of homes every year for Scotland’s RSLs.

Cameron Greig, a senior associate in Morton Fraser's Litigation Department, also joins to provide a detailed look at a specific planning appeal called in by the Scottish Government, which highlights a post-National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) change impacting unallocated sites.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here:

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-fail-to-plan-plan-to-fail

Other relevant reading:

The 2014 Unsuitable Accommodation Order was introduced to effectively end stays in unsuitable accommodation for any homeless person for more than 7 days. 

However, with these laws being consistently broken by local authorities for a number fo reasons Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black ask whether the law is fit for purpose.

We clarify the legislation around homelessness and to share the practical problems of finding suitable accommodation with Cllr Jane Meagher, the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, and Sophie Berry, a solicitor at Govan Law Centre. 

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-homelessness-presents-some-sobering-facts

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

As housing and care providers continue to grapple with Scotland’s ageing population, some are embracing tech more than ever before.

Earlier this year, Bield Housing and Care officially launched a digital hub in Linlithgow. Securing £75k in funding from the TAPPI project, it set about showcasing a variety of preventative care technologies that aim to support individuals to live independently, in their own homes, for longer.

Bield also hopes the hub will act as a blueprint and trial centre for housing of the future, with the new care technologies available for tenants, staff and other stakeholders to trial.

To discuss the hub and the future of tech and care, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black spoke to Dr Lynne Douglas, the chief executive at Bield and Gary Baillie, a BR24 service manager who leads on the TAPPI programme.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-sensors-sensors-everywhere

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

The story behind Hanover Scotland’s award-winning development in Drymen has many threads. 

Not just Hanover’s first certified Passivhaus development, it is located at the very site of its first ever development in Scotland as a separate entity.

The project also touches on a number of issues such as community consultation, energy efficiency and the challenges of supporting a social housing development in a middle class village in such a rural environment.

Joining Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to tell this story and what it means for the future of Hanover are chief executive Angela Currie and head of housing Janice McDonald.

Kieran also spoke to Mrs Nicholson, a Hanover tenant who is reaping the benefits of her new home.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-from-dorran-homes-to-passive-houses

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

Feedback on this episode and the podcast is welcome via our social media channels:

With its latest campaign, the SFHA is aiming to put Housing at the Heart of Scotland and keep it there. It looks to tell stories of the importance of social housing in Scotland and ensure social landlords are given the required support to continue this vital work.

In this episode, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black talk to the SFHA’s director of external affairs, Carolyn Lochhead, about the launch of the campaign earlier this year and its work to influence the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government. The discussion also touches on housing acquisitions, mid-market rent, poverty and the climate emergency.

The current framework for regulating social landlords in Scotland was introduced in 2019. Since then, tragic incidents here in the UK and worldwide events have changed how RSLs are expected to operate, possibly forever.  So in this episode, we’re asking whether the way RSLs are regulated should also be changed to reflect this.

Ahead of unveiling a proposed new Regulatory Framework later this year, the Scottish Housing Regulator has embarked on a national discussion which is currently inviting views from tenants and landlords on the future of social housing regulation. All this while the Scottish Parliament had interventions of its own regarding the operating style of the organisation.

With that in mind, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black talked to its director of regulation Helen Shaw and chief executive Michael Cameron.

After the Scottish Government published rules for all new properties applying for a building warrant from April 2024 having to utilise zero direct emissions heating systems, we wanted to focus on what it could mean in practice.

Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black are joined by Richard Orr, the head of asset and regeneration at River Clyde Homes, who talks about the potential impacts on the organisation and the wider sector, how River Clyde Homes sees the future direction of travel and how we pay for it?

Later Jimmy talks to Ross Armstrong, the chief executive of Warmworks, the organisation which runs the Warmer Homes Scotland programme and will lead a new seven-year programme to improve the homes of people living in fuel poverty.

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 want to shine a light on that and aim to influence the housing sector in embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into practice.

In this episode, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black speak to Dr Gareth Young and Pedro Cameron to offer insights into what people experience in their housing journeys and identify areas where improvements and better evidence are needed.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode, here:

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 a reform of the law on damages for unlawful evictions.

Patrick Harvie MSP, minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants’ rights, led on the bill, and he joins Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to respond to concerns from around the housing sector and give some clarity as to what will happen after 31 March.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode, here:

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 participation, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black are joined by Colin Stewart - a Castlehill Housing Association tenant and Scottish Housing Regulator board member, Louise McNeilage – a tenant and community engagement facilitator at Scottish Borders Housing Association, and Helen Barton - an associate at TPAS.

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode, here:

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-what-does-tenant-participation-look-like-in-practice