We’re already delivering Scotland’s new housing act

However, Scotland still faces significant challenges. With over 17,000 households in temporary accommodation and more than 10,000 children growing up without the stability of a permanent home, the need for action remains urgent. The Housing (Scotland) Act, which received Royal Ascent on November 6th, passed through Parliament in September, represents the next significant step in Scotland's ongoing efforts to ensure everyone has access to a safe, affordable home.

Home Group fully supports this legislation and its ambitions. What's more, we're already delivering on many of the priorities it aims to achieve – from our 600 mid-market rent (MMR) and social rent homes delivered over the past two years to our work supporting families escaping homelessness. The Bill provides a framework that recognises what works, and we're ready to scale up our delivery in partnership with the Scottish Government.

The Bill's provisions around rent controls have generated significant debate, but there's a crucial detail that enables organisations like Home Group to continue delivering affordable homes: the exemption of mid-market rent from rent control areas.

This exemption is about enabling delivery. MMR properties bridge the gap between social housing and the private market by providing quality homes for key workers, young professionals and families who don't qualify for social housing but struggle to afford Scotland's average private rent of £1,218 per month. MMR properties average £681 per month – genuinely affordable housing that serves those caught in the middle.

Over the past two financial years, we've delivered 300 MMR homes across Scotland. The freedom to set rents sustainably means we can continue investing in more homes, not fewer.

Glasgow's Meat Market development shows us what's possible. This historic site, which housed livestock markets until the 1980s, is being transformed into a vibrant mixed-use regeneration area. We've already delivered 250 homes in Phase 1, and with the Bill's exemptions supporting its viability, we can now progress Phase 2 – around 200 more homes combining private and mid-market rent. This is brownfield regeneration at scale, creating sustainable communities in the heart of the city. With not even a quarter of affordable homes completed towards the 110,000 target by 2032 (as of December 2024), Scotland needs developments like this to proceed.

Meanwhile, the Bill's homelessness provisions align closely with our values and practice. The requirement for social landlords to have policies supporting tenants at risk of homelessness due to domestic abuse is particularly welcome.

Domestic abuse is a leading cause of homelessness in Scotland, especially for women. We introduced our Domestic Abuse Policy in 2024, supported by comprehensive training that 90% of our colleagues have now completed. We've also appointed a specialist Domestic Abuse Business Partner.

But policy is only the start. We're actively providing solutions. Working with Edinburgh City Council through the Scottish Government's acquisitions fund, we've secured eight larger family homes in South Queensferry specifically for families who have been homeless or living in temporary accommodation. Edinburgh has seen a 148% rise in family homelessness over five years, with more than 3,000 children in temporary accommodation as of March 2024. Single parent households spend an average of 600 days in temporary accommodation.

For one family we've housed – Davie and his two children, who were escaping a domestic abuse situation – this has made an immediate difference. As Davie told us: “My two kids have had such a difficult time; it was a nightmare. But having this place now, it's just made everyone a million times better. They can settle down and feel safe.”

The Bill’s 'ask and act' duty is another positive step. This requires public bodies, including social landlords, to identify and act on homelessness risks up to six months in advance. Our Tenancy Sustainment Framework has operated on this preventative principle for years, working in partnership with councils, third sector agencies, and health services to connect customers with the support they need. With a 28% increase in rough sleeping applications and households spending an average 238 days in temporary accommodation, prevention is crucial – but it only works if there are homes for people to move into. 

The Bill also includes provisions around Awaab's Law, with strict timeframes for addressing health hazards such as damp and mould.

As a Scottish housing association within a wider group operating across England, we can share valuable learning. We have been rolling out our response to England's equivalent legislation from October and have been actively participating in Scottish Government working groups to help shape Scotland's implementation from March 2026.

We do not profess to have all the answers. But there's value in sharing practical experience about what works on the ground, and this will help ensure timeframes are realistic and requirements are deliverable.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill builds on Scotland's longstanding commitment to social housing and child poverty reduction. It provides a framework for addressing ongoing challenges while recognising the need for delivery at scale. Our role as housing associations is to turn that framework into reality – delivering homes, supporting vulnerable people and building communities.

We're demonstrating what's possible, but we can't do it alone. Success requires genuine partnership between government, housing associations, local authorities and communities. Together, we can ensure that every family in Scotland has access to a safe, affordable, permanent home – that's an ambition worth supporting.