The Scottish Housing News Podcast

"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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

“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: Housing Fit For Purpose: Performance, Feedback and Learning - https://www.routledge.com/Housing-Fit-For-Purpose-Performance-Feedback-and-Learning/Stevenson/p/book/9781859468241 LETI Climate Emergency Retrofit Guide - https://www.leti.uk/retrofit Fionn's LinkedIn post - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fionn-stevenson-a3868720_retrofit-thinksmart-everypropertyisdifferent-activity-7149370404007006208-R9bo/ 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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/why-it-is-important-to-declare-a-housing-emergency-podcast-transcript Further reading: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/council-declares-housing-emergency-in-argyll-and-bute https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/partners-pledge-to-tackle-argyll-and-bute-housing-emergency https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/edinburgh-confirms-housing-emergency-declaration https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/housing-emergency-declared-in-glasgow https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/fife-council-on-brink-of-housing-emergency-declaration-amid-record-homelessness https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/edinburgh-agrees-action-plan-to-help-address-housing-emergency https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/cih-scotland-to-declare-a-scottish-housing-emergency-at-national-conference 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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/transitional-measures-proposed-as-private-rent-cap-ends 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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: Town Centre Living Report - https://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/documents/town-centre-living-report The original case study on the Place Standard work in Alloa - https://www.ads.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-05/case-study-place-standard-alloa-2020.pdf Article on the Norwegian delegation visit in connection with Place Standard use in Alloa - https://www.ads.org.uk/blog/place-standard-tool-norwegian-colleagues-visit-scotland Case study on town centre living work in Alloa - https://www.ads.org.uk/blog/town-centre-living-primrose-street-alloa ADS report on Alva - https://www.ads.org.uk/case-study/alva-pathfinder ADS report on A Caring Place - https://www.ads.org.uk/resource/town-centre-living-ten-principles-caring-place 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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-getting-a-job-in-housing The fair work and meta-skills videos by River Clyde Homes mentioned in the episode are available here:  Meta-skills: https://youtu.be/p7sVwjb0rFU Fair Work: https://youtu.be/jNZA4-vp-gQ 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: ⁠https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews⁠ Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at ⁠https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: Scotland's Broken Planning System Scotland’s leading planner responds to SCN’s ‘Scotland’s broken planning system’ series and reveals extent of ‘demographic time-bomb’ facing planning departments Construction Leader: Janice Russell takes the reins at McTaggart 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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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. Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-campaigning-to-showcase-the-importance-of-housing 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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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. Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-tigers-and-camels-chatting-with-the-scottish-housing-regulator   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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews   Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

After touching on the use of data in a previous episode regarding Fit Homes, the Scottish Housing News Podcast returns to the issue by further considering other ways in which data analysis is helping inform decision-making across all areas of social housing from creating sustainable communities to assessing the stock condition. To help with this, Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black spoke to Daz Chauhan, a principal data consultant at data specialist Housemark, and Dan Blake, the executive director of customer experience at Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA), who is also chair of Housemark’s Scotland Advisory Board. In the episode, we discover how data is changing how housing associations approach repairs and maintenance and unique initiatives at BHA to tackle domestic abuse and link mental health to void properties and tenancy sustainment. Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-count-things-draw-pictures-and-do-stuff   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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews   Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

Recorded at this Year's TPAS Scotland Annual Conference on June 30th, this episode features a panel discussion hosted by Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black alongside Anne Marie Brown, CEO at Dalmuir Park Housing Association, and David Bookbinder, the director of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations. Questions and comments from the conference delegates of tenants and tenant participation staff included the cost of living crisis, tenant participation and housing retrofits. Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-communication-key-to-tenant-participation 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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

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. Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-will-tenants-pay-for-the-scottish-governments-green-revolution 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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/

More than 18 months since we last spoke about environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting (ep 2), Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black reconvene with Link Group's finance director Nick Pollard to discuss how the parameters have changed during this time and how housing associations can benefit from adopting the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing (SRS) to access private finance. Kieran also talks to Julie McDowell, the chair of Blackwood Homes and Care, which is another early adopter of SRS. Julie is also a board member at Sustainability for Housing - the organisation behind the SRS - and is working to help make the framework more suitable for RSLs who may be concerned about the increasingly complicated reporting requirements.  Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-navigating-the-requirements-of-esg 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: https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/ https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews Read all our news and sign up for our free daily newsletter at https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/