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.
Contact us if you have questions about HCH.
Click for our latest newsletter (October 2026).
In the news
Huge leap in the number of homeless people dying in Scotland
The Dying Homeless Project has reported a steep climb in the number of people dying in Scotland while homeless. They report that 232 deaths were recorded in 2025. This compared with 168 in 2024 – a rise of around 38%.
Scotland recorded the highest
mortality rate among the UK’s
four nations and saw substantial
increases in deaths occurring on
the streets and in rough sleepers’
accommodation. Edinburgh alone
accounted for approximately one
quarter of all deaths recorded in
Scotland. [2026: 17]
You can also view a summary of the implications of the findings in Scottish Housing News.
Urgent action needed to deal with the housing crisis in the Highlands and Islands
The Communities Housing Trust (CHT), who have been working with community housing groups like Hope Cohousing, announced last week that it cannot sustain its operations and is withdrawing from all activities. As the Community Led Housing Alliance has said, CHT has “helped rural and island communities to provide hundreds of affordable homes and respond proactively to failures in the housing system.” Basically, the Scottish Government is failing to provide adequate financial support for social and community-led housing. [See Scottish Housing News 28/09/2026].
The cohousing community in London which inspired us so many years ago. Cohousing can offer SUCH a good way of living as we get older.
Click to view a short (2-minute) video made for The Times and The Sunday Times, available on our Facebook page.
The coming rise in Scottish fuel poverty
A new Scottish Government study estimates that from October to December 2026, around 820,000 households will experience fuel poverty. This is nearly a third of all households (32%) – an increase of around 20,000 households from current estimates for July to September 2026. More than half of these households (440,000 or 17% of all Scottish households) will be in extreme fuel poverty. Click to read the government report. [September 3, 2026]
Scotland’s birth rate falls to record low for third year running
The BBC Scottish News also confirms that the number of deaths continues to outnumber births across the country.
Click to read more on BBC News. [August 25, 2026].
Major drop in build-to-rent homes under construction
Scotland has experienced a large drop in build-to-rent houses under construction in Britain. Recent analysis from Real Estate: Scotland and Savills shows a 27% drop over the past year (compared to 21% in England and 9% in Wales). [August 12, 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.
