Housing to 2040 Strategic Board minutes: November 2025

Attendees and apologies

Members of the Housing to 2040 Board, including the Cabinet Secretary for Housing.

Items and actions

Welcome and opening remarks

Councillor Chalmers opened the meeting and confirmed approval of the note from the previous meeting (May 2025). No amendments requested.

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing welcomed the opportunity to attend her first meeting of the Board acknowledging constructive engagement with members since taking up post and emphasising the importance of continued collaboration to deliver the Housing Emergency Action Plan.

Progress update: Housing Emergency Action Plan and Housing (Scotland) Bill

Housing Emergency Action Plan

The Cabinet Secretary outlined progress against the Plan’s three strategic objectives including:

• allocation of an additional £40 million targeted in-year funding to local authorities to boost immediate housing supply, with a focus on family homes
•   working with councils to encourage “flipping” suitable temporary accommodation into permanent homes
• expanding the scope of the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme to support first-time buyers
• implementing Awaab’s Law across the rented sector, initially focusing on damp and mould
•  finalisation of funding with Scottish Women’s Aid for the £1.5 million Fund to Leave, supporting women experiencing domestic abuse
• communications to planning authorities and stakeholders emphasising the need for a housing emergency-led approach in planning decisions, including proportionality for Small-and-Medium-Sized-Enterprise (SME) builders
• upcoming autumn consultation seeking views on penalties and incentives to accelerate housing delivery
• introduction of a Ministerial Notification Direction, requiring notification to Scottish Ministers of planning applications for 10 or more homes on non-allocated sites

Housing (Scotland) Bill

The Cabinet Secretary noted the passing of the Housing Bill by Parliament on 30 September. It aims to deliver a fairer deal for tenants by supporting more affordable rents, improving the safety of rented homes, and strengthening protections against eviction. Work is now underway to develop guidance on rent control exemptions, including for mid market rent and build to rent homes; ‘Ask and Act’ powers and; on the provisions relating to Part 2 of the Domestic Abuse Act.
Board members raised several points, including:

• the relationship between overcrowding, poverty, and damp/mould, and concerns around “No Win, No Fee” claims
• the need for improved acquisition data, including bedroom sizes
• the importance of clarity around public/private investment contributions within the indicative £4.9 billion funding commitment
• sector concerns about Heat in Buildings policy sequencing and its impact on development
• requests for clearer annual housing targets

The Cabinet Secretary noted these points and advised that further information will follow UK and Scottish Budget announcements

Housing Emergency Progress Report

Officials presented the new approach to monitoring progress against the 20 actions in the Plan. Board members welcomed the Red-Amber-Green (RAG )rating format but suggested:

• reassessment of some ratings based on work remaining before March
• inclusion of Delivery Timeline and Outputs columns

Action: Scottish Government to consider the feedback and update the reporting format.

Local Authority Spotlight: Glasgow and Edinburgh

Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council presented updates on local pressures and actions underway to respond to the housing emergency.

Glasgow 

Key challenges include rising homelessness presentations; brownfield remediation costs; accelerated asylum processes; judicial review pressures and; significant staff pressures due to complexity and volume of cases

Glasgow’s response includes Health and Social Care Connect preventing homelessness for nearly half of households; PRS Housing Welfare Hub supporting and preventing homelessness for private rented sector households; Temporary Accommodation service review using improved technology and data analytics; new Strategic Housing Investment PLan (SHIP) published, outlining plans for nearly 6,400 new affordable homes over five years and; launch of a new Private Sector Grant Scheme

Edinburgh 

Key challenges include rapid population growth (projected 7% rise 2018–2028); need for 36,000–52,000 new homes by 2040, including 24,000–35,000 affordable; increasing homelessness pressures linked to prevention duties, migration trends and global conflicts and; construction cost inflation and labour shortages.

Responses include significant scaling up of temporary accommodation; flipping suitable stock from temporary to permanent; disposal of assets that no longer meet long term goals and; acceleration of new-build delivery

The Cabinet Secretary commended both authorities for their leadership during extremely challenging circumstances.

Solution-focused discussion: ending use of unsuitable temporary accommodation

A facilitated discussion explored practical solutions to ensure all children are moved out of unsuitable temporary accommodation.

Key discussion points included:

• Fife Council developing a route map to end use of unsuitable accommodation by June 2026, including 200–300 property flips each year.
• opportunities for an ethical Build to Rent model and support for brownfield development
• a recommendation to revisit the Task and Finish Group recommendations to accelerate progress
• private landlords expressing willingness to support local authorities but noting challenges in engagement

Actions:

• Scottish Government to convene a discussion between local authorities, John Blackwood, and Steven Wheatley on private landlord engagement and Private Sector Leasing
• Scottish Government to consider the proposal for an ethical Build to Rent model

Housing Investment

Officials highlighted the importance of continued engagement with the Board through autumn and winter to support investment and respond to the housing emergency.
A dedicated session on housing investment will take place at the next meeting of the Board.

Action: Board members to propose investment topics for inclusion in the next agenda.

Any other business

• the Board noted that this meeting marked Callum Chomczuk’s final attendance in his current role. He was thanked for his significant contributions
• Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) will shortly share findings from a member survey on priorities for a future Private Rented Sector strategy
• diary invitations will issue shortly for the next two meetings on 14 January and 18 March 2026