Hope Cohousing—a community interest company—is working to establish a small cohousing project for older people in St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney, as a lasting community benefit. Six new, eco-aware, affordable rental homes will be built for people wanting to live independently and build a supportive community. The project will have shared amenities, a garden….and chickens.
Find out more about the project; become a Friend of Hope Cohousing; or join our monthly meet-up.
Contact us if you have questions about HCH.
Our next monthly meet-up (open to all) will be in April. Venue: To be arranged. Meet-ups normally take place on the first Saturday of the month.
In the news
Scotland heading for ‘housing catastrophe’, new data suggests
New research undertaken for Homes for Scotland (HFS) indicates that unless there is immediate Government action, housing completions could fall to just 5,000 per annum by 2031, compared to the 19,797 homes completed in 2024. The problem results from major failures in planning policies and in the National Planning Framework 4 of 2023. There simply isn’t enough land appearing in the pipeline, which will lead to a chronic undersupply of suitable sites. Click to read more about the ‘housing catastrophe in Scottish Housing News [March 19, 2026].
The Scottish Government has built 250,000 fewer homes than it pledged in 2007. The new SNP Government had promised around an extra 10,000 homes pa. They described this as “achievable and necessary”. The result was a decrease of 26% by 2024-5. Thanks, in significant part, to government failures, there has been a collapse in housebuilding in Scotland. For a detailed analysis, see: Housing the Future. How Scotland can build again. [March 24, 2026].
Coordinated action is required to address the complex and deeply rooted population challenges we face in rural and island areas
COSLA has drawn attention to the slowing of population growth and the impact of ageing. This has profound implications for economic productivity and the viability of public services. Rural and island areas suffer from several housing challenges, such as high building costs, a lack of scale to attract developers, a lack of capacity to complete projects, and a market failure of development.
They also draw attention to the impact of second home ownership and holiday letting. According to figures from the SOLACE housing report, 13.3% of properties in Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, 10.4% in Argyll and Bute, 9.1% in both Orkney and Shetland, and 6.7% in Highland Council are empty due to an increase in short-term letting and owners of second homes. Competition for second homes can inflate prices beyond the means of local people. Seasonal occupancy and transient populations also change communities and affect the viability of local services. Click to download the COSLA Manifesto. [March 10, 2026]
Why housing for older women is an economic issue
For many older women, later life is shaped not by security but by structural economic inequality. They are significantly more likely to:
- Have lower lifetime earnings
- Have taken career breaks for unpaid care
- Rely on smaller pensions
- Live alone in later life
Click to read Hanover Scotland’s CEO Angela Currie’s call for action in Scottish Housing News. [March 9, 2026]
We need urgent action and new homes, not further bureaucracy
Angela Currie has also drawn our attention to the latest government figures showing that, in Scotland, just 4,122 social homes were completed by the end of September last year. This was a 15% drop and the lowest level since 2017. In the private sector, 14,225 homes were built over the year, three times as many as in the public sector. This was down 5%, and the weakest performance since 2018. Currently, there are around 150,000 people on waiting lists and 40,000 in temporary accommodation. Read the piece. [March 5, 2026]
Exploring South Ronaldsay – Listening Walks
Created by Sheena Graham-George, and based on conversations with local people, the Burwick, Kirkhouse and St Margaret’s Hope Listening Walks are now available on Exploring South Ronaldsay [which started life on these pages]. The result is a fascinating collage of life on the island. [updated March 1, 2026]
Resources
Featured article: Why cohousing is good for people and communities – the evidence. [Updated January 2024]
Creating a cohousing project: Materials and videos exploring different aspects of putting together a cohousing project.
Look out for: Burray and South Ronaldsay local services [New and updated]. See also the new Exploring South Ronaldsay site, which began life on these pages.
For more about the development of cohousing in Scotland, click on the Cohousing Scotland logo below.
