The Scottish Housing News Podcast

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/

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/

Fresh from the Scottish Government's anti-poverty summit, Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson joins Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to share to what extent housing was mentioned during the event.

The discussion also touches on Alison’s early career, Housing First, the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group and finishes with a conversation about whether there is value in short-term accommodation measures and charity sleep-outs.

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 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 tackle this are Kirsty Morrison, the chief executive of Albyn Housing Society, and Ronnie MacRae, the chief executive officer at Communities Housing Trust.

Joining Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay, Kirsty shares Albyn’s Fit Homes, which support vulnerable tenants who require support to live independently at home. Ronnie outlines the partnership working of Communities Housing Trust to increase the provision of affordable homes and services in remote areas.

Both have their say on the specific issues impacting people in rural communities, Modern Methods of Construction and put their case to the new housing minister Paul McLennan.

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/

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 whether spreading responsibilities such as tenants’ rights, net zero buildings and community wealth building across several ministerial briefs could work.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-a-new-minister-a-new-beginning

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 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 time the government would fast-track the process of adopting the standard in law by using secondary legislation and bypassing the need to take a member’s bill through Holyrood.

Since then, while presumably consulting on what this agreed definition will look like, we've witnessed the beginning of changes at the very top of government which could yet have an impact on this Bill’s introduction.

So we thought it would be helpful to step back from the politics of Passivhaus to discuss the realities of meeting the standard in Scotland.

We’ve reached out to Dan Hyde and Jeff Colley of Zero Ambitions Podcast for advice, a podcast about sustainability, the built environment, and zero carbon goals. In 2003 Dan and Jeff co-founded an Irish sustainable building magazine, Construct Ireland, which was rebranded as Passive House Plus in 2012, and expanded into separate UK and Irish editions, with Jeff remaining at the helm as editor ever since.

We are also joined by someone who was faced with the reality of planning a Passivhaus programme and finding the money to do so. Andrew Kubski is the director of development and asset management at West of Scotland Housing Association, which has recently completed Scotland’s largest development of flats to meet the energy efficiency standard.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-passive-hooses-for-scotland

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/

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 back to a hike in energy costs.

John Mills, head of housing at Fife Council and current co-chair of ALACHO, joins Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black to share how chief housing officers across Scotland's councils are tackling these issues while managing inflationary pressures impacting the budgets of councils and their tenants. He also reveals the one thing the Scottish Government can do to help most, if not all, of these challenges.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-the-chief-housing-officers-taking-on-damp-homelessness-and-refugee-accommodation

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 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 since stepped up to the role of chief executive designate ahead of taking on the full role in a few months’ time.

Rosie Robertson is the Glasgow area local community representative on the regeneration board at Clyde Gateway and a long-time resident of Dalmarnock.

Delving into the past, present and future of Dalmarnock, we find out the catalyst for such a transformation, the early benefits of the changes, and what is still to be achieved.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-finding-the-clyde

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/

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 to introduce a Passivhaus equivalent to become the minimum standard for all new housing in the country.

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/

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 and Jimmy are Lara Oyedele, the current president of the Chartered Institute of Housing, who is seeking to raise awareness of the importance of racial diversity within the leadership of the housing sector with her CIH presidential campaign, ‘In My Shoes’, Callum Chomczuk, the national director for CIH Scotland and chair of the internal EDI group which for the past two years has been working to improve EDI throughout CIH and its membership, and Fash Fasoro, the CEO of social enterprise DataKirk. Fash helped organise the recent Scottish Black Talent Summit and offers insight on how to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

If you want to support Lara’s Shoe Aid crowdfunder, here’s the link:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-my-shoes-by-lara-oyedele

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-is-scotlands-housing-sector-racially-diverse

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/

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 flexible time and location arrangements. To find out about this programme, co-hosts Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay visit Caledonia's head office to speak to its director of people Barry Johnstone.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-caledonias-agile-people

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 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, and Lesley Palmer, chief architect of the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling, speak to Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay about their findings and why it is so important that any future dementia strategy considers the role of housing and planning.

Lesley highlights the Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design Assessment Tool and Ashley makes a pitch for organisations to sign up to the Housing and Dementia Framework.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-understanding-housing-and-dementia

A discussion paper has been developed by the Scottish Government to help people respond to a National Conversation on the future of dementia policy in Scotland. Find out more here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-conversation-inform-new-dementia-strategy-discussion-paper/

The Environments for Ageing and Dementia Design Assessment Tool combines the latest research on designing for cognitive change with the expertise of leading architects based at the University’s Dementia Services Development Centre. It replaces DSDC’s Dementia Design Audit Tool which was first developed in 2008 and has influenced the design of care buildings worldwide. Find out more here: https://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk/our-services/ea-ddat

The Housing and Dementia Framework is available here: https://www.cih.org/policy/scottish-housing-and-dementia-framework

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/

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 methods of construction and whether innovation has progressed to desired levels.

The conversation moves on to the impact a potential long-term rent freeze could have on house building and the upcoming Housing Bill and we round up with a preview of the Annual 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/

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 discuss the challenge ahead.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-the-challenge-of-ending-homelessness-in-glasgow

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/

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 for the North East, Mercedes Villalba, and Alison Bavidge from the Scottish Association of Social Work. Kieran and Jimmy then catch up to discuss those interviews and the impact of the new legislation.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-the-dramatic-changes-brought-by-abolishing-mandatory-evictions

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 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 start. He's been watching the Grenfell Inquiry closely and is disappointed by the failure of so many professionals to prevent the tragedy.

He is also completely convinced that the trend to fill housing association board positions with professionals to the exclusion of tenants is a big mistake.

As he says in one of his own blogs... "A working-class board member is something to be".

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-a-working-class-board-member-is-something-to-be

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/

Former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner Jimmy Black and Scottish Housing News editor Kieran Findlay co-host the first episode of The Scottish Housing News Podcast.

Coinciding with the launch of our COP26 feature showcasing the efforts of Scotland’s dynamic affordable housing sector, this episode includes a scene-setting round table discussion featuring David Bookbinder, director of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations, and Teresa Bray from the Existing Homes Alliance and chief executive of ChangeWorks.

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

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/admin/article/black-s-blog-gas-boilers-are-on-the-way-out-storage-heaters-are-on-the-way-in-well-maybe

Once published, all the COP26 articles will be available to view here: 

https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/tag/cop26shn

New contributions are still welcome and feel free to join in the conversation on social media using #COP26SHN.

Feedback on this episode is welcome via our social media channels

https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews

https://www.linkedin.com/company/28156734/admin/

https://www.facebook.com/ScotHousingNews

Read all our news at www.scottishhousingnews.com and sign up to our free daily newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bkCDxL