Chamber and committees

Under the next item, we will take evidence on affordable housing. We will discuss the topic with two panels today. The first panel focuses on the rural context. We are joined by Donna Birrell, chief executive officer of Rural Stirling Housing Association; Roslyn Clarke, director of Applecross Community Company; Mark Rodgers, executive chief officer in housing and property at Highland Council; and Mike Staples, chief executive of South of Scotland Community Housing. Donna Birrell and Roslyn Clarke join us online. I welcome you all to the meeting.

It would be helpful if members could direct their questions to a specific witness, if possible, although I will be happy to bring in others who want to contribute—if you want to comment, please indicate that to me or to the clerk, and I will bring you in at an appropriate point. Donna Birrell and Roslyn Clarke can indicate that they want to comment by typing R in the chat function in BlueJeans.

I will begin with a question for all four witnesses. What are the challenges to delivering affordable homes in your areas of operation? How are you addressing the challenges? Can you share good examples? I will start with Donna Birrell.

I have three more questions. What commitments have house builders made to fund remediation and mitigation works under the Scottish safer buildings accord? What happens if a developer chooses not to sign up to the accord?

I call Marie McNair.

I am aware of the complexity of the funding landscape; indeed, I cannot keep track of the different pots of money. However, that seems to be an issue not just in housing but everywhere.

I call Tom Norris.

Thanks for that. Elaine, how is it going in Edinburgh?

Thank you. Perhaps Neil Rutherford from the Scottish Futures Trust can go next.

Thank you very much for that. Mike Staples, do you have anything to add? You do not have to, but I want to give you the opportunity to do so.

It is very good to hear that from the community’s perspective. Your company is volunteer led, and it can be challenging to hold that over time.

I want to unpack assumptions and go a bit deeper. You started to touch on the fact that community enablers support communities to do the delivery of their housing, but why is the model of community-led housing so important? It has kind of been said, but it would be good to articulate that.

I direct the next question also to the Scottish Futures Trust; the two witnesses can divide it between themselves. We are curious to know how your work is enabling the development of strategic housing sites and any lessons that can be learned.