By Caron Quinn, chief executive at Govan Housing Group
FROM the frontline in Govan, Scotland’s housing emergency can look deceptively simple: a lack of choice.
Behind that simplicity sits a system under real strain. Every day, we work with individuals, couples and families ready to move into the right home but those homes aren’t there. Without a meaningful range of appropriate, affordable options, our ability to respond is constrained. Supply has not kept pace and communities are feeling the impact.
This is about more than housing numbers. A safe, secure home underpins everything – health, education, employment and wellbeing. When that stability is absent, the consequences ripple far beyond housing
Too often, the gap between national ambition and local delivery comes down to complexity. Over time, funding mechanisms and policy frameworks have become layered and difficult to navigate. For those delivering on the ground, there is not always enough transparency around how funding is prioritised and distributed. That lack of clarity can obscure where the real barriers lie and makes it harder to align expectations with reality.
Alongside this is a more fundamental issue: too many decisions are made without a deep enough understanding of what is happening locally. Across Scotland, colleagues in housing will recognise this. Policy intentions are often strong, but they don’t always reflect the lived experience of tenants or the operational challenges facing providers. If we want better outcomes, frontline voices must play a greater role in shaping decisions.
We must also be honest about the pressures the system is under. Providers are being asked to do more with less. Costs are rising, demand is increasing, and expectations continue to grow. At the same time, we are still dealing with the long-term impact of past decisions that did not fully anticipate today’s needs.
We must get better at learning lessons. Housing is a constant requirement, but it cannot rely on long-term thinking alone. We need to be more agile, more reflective, and more willing to adjust course quickly when something isn’t working.
That applies to how we measure progress. Too often, success is defined by targets set years into the future. While long-term ambition matters, it must be matched by shorter-term accountability. Clear, achievable goals over 12-month periods would allow us to track progress in real time, build confidence and demonstrate tangible change.
At a local level in Govan, one lesson stands out above all: relationships matter. Tenant satisfaction and sustainment are built on communication, empathy and trust. That human dimension must not be lost in national policy conversations.
This local focus is becoming even more important considering recent constituency boundary changes. With Govan now part of the Glasgow Central constituency, I look forward to establishing an early, positive dialogue with Alison Thewliss and Glasgow’s regional list MSPs to ensure Govan’s voice is clearly heard.
With a new government in office, there is also an opportunity to reset relationships at a national level. Engagement with the Scottish Government will be critical, including with Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP in her role as cabinet secretary for social justice and housing. Open, consistent dialogue between government and housing providers must underpin efforts to deliver progress.
That starts with consistency. Frequent changes in leadership make it harder to build relationships and maintain momentum. Housing policy requires stability, collaboration and long-term commitment.
But just as importantly, it requires visible, short-term action. The next government must move beyond strategy and demonstrate progress early – showing communities that change is not only planned, but happening.
The housing emergency will not be solved overnight. But by listening more closely to the frontline, simplifying systems and focusing on achievable progress, we can begin to close the gap between ambition and reality.
