Publications

A strategic board to lead progress towards the delivery of Scotland’s 20-year housing plan will meet for the first time today.

The Housing to 2040 strategy was developed following extensive engagement with the housing sector, wider stakeholders and the public, and sets out a vision for what Scotland’s homes and communities should look like by the end of 2040.

Including representatives from housing providers, landlords, housing developers and tenant organisations, the Housing to 2040 Strategic Board will meet every six months.

The board will be co-chaired by housing secretary Shona Robison and COSLA’s community wellbeing spokesperson, Councillor Maureen Chalmers.

The strategic board membership in full:

• Shona Robison, cabinet secretary for social justice, housing and local government (co-chair)
• Councillor Maureen Chalmers, COSLA spokesperson for community wellbeing (co-chair)
• Patrick Harvie, minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants’ rights
• Michael Cameron, chief executive, Scottish Housing Regulator
• Sally Thomas, chief executive, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
• John Mills, co-chair, Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers
• Jane Wood, chief executive, Homes for Scotland
• John Blackwood, chief executive, Scottish Association of Landlords
• Colin Stewart, chair, North of Scotland Regional Network
• Callum Chomczuk, national director (Scotland), Chartered Institute of Housing
• Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Sean Neill, director local government, housing and planning, Scottish Government

Ms Robison said: “The actions in Housing to 2040 set out how we will deliver on our vision for a Scotland where homes are warm, safe and affordable for everyone, standards are the same across all tenures, people have access to green space and essential services, and where child poverty, fuel poverty and homelessness have been eradicated.

“I’m grateful to the representatives who are joining the strategic board, which will oversee the delivery of Housing to 2040 and work together to progress towards the vision set out in the strategy.”

Councillor Chalmers said: “The Housing to 2040 strategy sets the context for housing across all of Scotland’s local communities. Therefore, it is of great value that the new Strategic Board’s membership has a range of housing stakeholders to provide oversight, as well as to help provide advice on navigating challenges to progress our shared housing aims.”

Homes for Scotland has welcomed the appointment of its chief executive Jane Wood to the Strategic Board.

Ms Wood said: “Housing is fundamental to Scotland’s social wellbeing and economic success. From health and education to jobs and investment, it impacts every area of our lives but we simply don’t have enough homes. This is clearly demonstrated by the shortfall of 110,000 homes that has been accumulated since 2008 yet delivery challenges have never been greater.

“With strong interdependencies between tenures, home builders across all segments of the housing market have a critical role to play in achieving the objectives set out by the Scottish Government and recognition of this through my appointment is very much welcomed.

“The Strategic Board is a critical body which must focus on creating effective policies which deliver both economically and socially, and I look forward to working collaboratively with my Board colleagues to do this.”

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) is the independent regulator of registered social landlord (RSL) and local authority housing services in Scotland, working to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants, people who are homeless, and others who use social housing services.

Committed to ensuring tenants are at the heart of our regulation of their landlords, the Regulator is delighted to invite applications from across Scotland for the recruitment of twelve motivated and enthusiastic individuals to take on the role of Tenant Advisor for a period of three years, and provide an independent and unique perspective on our work.

Individuals from all walks of life, with focus on protected characteristics, are encouraged to apply for this voluntary positionand be instrumental in shaping the future of social housing services in Scotland.

Tenant Advisors are tenants of either RSLs or local authorities who volunteer to participate in regulation work and support the Regulator by:

· Testing landlord services by acting as mystery shoppers, and assessing information and materials produced by landlords for their tenants;

· Reviewing  SHR draft publications and website facilities, and helping SHR to make sure material is both accessible and user friendly for tenants; and

· Asking other tenants for their views when we assess the quality of service provided by social landlords to give us a direct, user perspective to add to other regulatory evidence.

Experts in housing, community development, and engagement practice, the Tenants Information Service (TIS), will work in partnership and support the Regulator in our recruitment of Tenant Advisors.

George Walker, Chair at the Scottish Housing Regulator explains:

“Our role is to protect tenants’ interests and to drive up the quality of services which social landlords deliver. We can only do our job effectively if we understand what is important to you. Tenants are a diverse group with different needs and priorities and it is important that we work with the most diverse group possible to understand these and take account of them in our work. So, I’d encourage as many different types of tenants with experience of the wide range of services that social landlords provide to apply. We will work with our Tenant Advisors to get your perspective on the services provided by social landlords across the country.”

Applicants do not need any formal qualifications, training, or experience to become a Tenant Advisor, and will receive ongoing support to ensure their role will be fulfilled confidently, although essential skills include:

· Basic IT skills (i.e. navigating emails, websites, and documents)

· The ability to interpret information from reports

· A willingness to learn and build new skills

· The ability to listen to and express views in a constructive way

· Communicating well in both a written and verbal capacity

Ilene Campbell, Chief Executive at TIS added:

“We are thrilled to work alongside the Scottish Housing Regulator in their recruitment of twelve Tenant Advisors. This voluntary role is a fantastic opportunity for tenants across Scotland to get involved and play an active role in improving social housing services.

“Individuals of all characteristics are invited to apply and will gain opportunities to take on new challenges and build on personal development skills. If you are passionate about making a positive change, we would love to hear from you.”

If this voluntary position interests you and you would like to be considered for selection as a Tenant Advisor, please visit:www.housingregulator.gov.scot or http://tis.org.uk/shr-volunteer-tenant-advisors/  to download an information pack and application form. For further information, email info@tis.org.uk or call 0141 248 1242.

Additionally, reasonable expenses (e.g. travel) will be covered to make participation in your role as Tenant Advisor as convenient as possible.

The closing date for applications is 10:00am on Monday 14th February 2022 and appointments will commence 1 April 2022 for three years.