I am delighted to have stepped into the role of Director of Places for People Scotland earlier this year, and I’m genuinely excited to be working alongside our Colleagues, Customers, and Communities as we continue to make positive, lasting improvements together.
I want to take a moment to thank our teams for their incredible dedication and the care they show every day. Their hard work and relentless focus on supporting Customers make a real difference. We’re evolving how we work, moving towards a more proactive model of Customer engagement. Our Community Housing Managers are at the heart of this approach - trusted, local anchors who are there for Customers and Communities whenever support is needed.
This year we’ve seen a small but welcome improvement in Customer satisfaction. While it’s encouraging, we know we have more to do. Tackling issues like damp and mould, and ensuring repairs are completed promptly, remain top priorities. Every Customer deserves to feel safe, secure, and proud of their home, and we’re committed to making that a reality.
We’re also seeing a growing social impact, now over £14 million, through initiatives such as energy and digital advice, furniture support, and tenancy assistance. These services are changing lives, and we’ll continue to build on this success to strengthen the impact we have across Scotland.
Listening to and involving our Customers is central to everything we do. This year we launched The Listening Room, a new space where Customers can share their experiences directly with us, helping us understand what matters most to them. The feedback we gather will guide our decisions and ensure the voice of our Customers shapes the services we deliver. Alongside this, we’re placing greater emphasis on clear, proactive communication so Customers always know what’s happening in their homes and Communities.
Looking ahead, I’m confident that by working together - with openness, compassion, and a shared purpose - we can continue to raise standards and create stronger, more connected Communities where People can truly thrive.
Kelly Brown, Director for Places for People Scotland
Click the headings below to read the highlights from the report:
Jump to:
Repairs and maintenance
We’re transforming repairs through innovation and investment — from introducing kitchen and bathroom pods that help vulnerable Customers stay at home during essential works, to using services like iCAB to find the best alternative accommodation when major works require Customers to move out.
Our focus is on delivering a faster, more reliable service, with 95% of emergency repairs now responded to within 24 hours.
Average time for non-emergency repairs to be completed:
25 days
Average time for emergency repairs to be completed:
31.8 hours
Number of gas safety checks required within 2024-2025 completed:
100%
There has been a significant increase in the average time taken to complete emergency repairs during 2024/25. The key driver for the increase is emergency repairs not being closed down by operatives within the prescribed time, despite works being completed. This has significantly skewed the average time we’re reporting here.
We’ve reviewed the figures to better understand the situation and have found that over 85% of emergency repair work was completed and closed down within the prescribed deadline. A small number of repairs were not closed down for a significant number of days.
Having analysed the data, we’re confident the service we’re offering Customers is broadly in line with the figure reported for 2023/24 (22 hours).
Estate Management / Anti-social Behaviour (ASB)
We take Community safety and tackling ASB very seriously, recognising these are critical issues affecting our Customers and their surroundings.
While we’re committed to addressing these challenges, we also understand that other agencies, such as the Police and local authority environmental health teams, may be better positioned to lead on certain matters. That’s why we continue to work closely with these agencies.
In addition, we partner with various stakeholders within our Communities to ensure appropriate actions are taken. When gaps in services arise, we actively seek to develop initiatives with our partners. Examples include programmes for young people, mentoring, Community drop-in sessions, and action days or weeks.
Scotland has the highest rate of drug deaths in Europe*, which impacts the work we do in our Communities. We’re working with partners on initiatives that support people struggling with substance abuse and our Communities teams are undertaking specialist training.
We’re pleased to report that during 2024/25, we achieved a resolution rate of 94.04% for ASB incidents, with a total of 503 cases addressed. Additionally, we successfully responded to all ASB cases within locally agreed timescales. This reflects our commitment to maintaining safe and supportive Communities for our Customers.
*Source: 19.1 drug misuse deaths per 100,000 people in 2024, National Records of Scotland published 2 September 2025
ASB cases response rate:
100%
Number of ASB cases resolved:
94.04%
Number of ASB cases reported:
503
Access to housing
We’re proud to be EdIndex partners alongside other housing associations in Edinburgh. EdIndex, managed by the City of Edinburgh Council, allows Customers to complete a single application to access housing support.
We’re committed to supporting Customers with their applications, particularly those who may have difficulty accessing online services.
Below is a breakdown of our lettings over the past six years.
| Source of let | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Existing Customers | 27 | 62 | 63 | 56 | 33 | 48 |
| Applicants | 147 | 131 | 262 | 206 | 208 | 131 |
| Mutual exchanges | 45 | 33 | 57 | 50 | 65 | 72 |
| Nominations from councils | 128 | 99 | 85 | 81 | 111 | 259 |
| Homeless applications | 231 | 133 | 212 | 239 | 64 | 62 |
| Other sources | 44 | 34 | 109 | 39 | 243 | 73 |
| Total | 622 | 492 | 788 | 671 | 724 | 645 |
Tenancy sustainment
We remain dedicated to supporting our Customers in managing their tenancies and providing guidance to help prevent homelessness.
New Customers receive support throughout the application and allocation process from our lettings and marketing team. From the moment they sign their tenancy and move into their new home, this support transitions to our Community Housing Managers and a wider network of Colleagues.
Community Housing Managers proactively engage with all new and existing Customers throughout their tenancy. This begins with settling-in visits and continues through regular keeping in touch visits, ensuring any vulnerabilities or support needs are identified and responded to.
For Customers facing higher risks, our Community Housing Managers offer short-term support to resolve any tenancy-related challenges such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and the overall condition of their home and garden.
Value for money
It’s essential our Customers receive services which consistently offer value for their rent and other charges they pay. To achieve this, we share resources for certain services, enabling us to benefit from expert central teams and reduce duplication. Additionally, we actively pursue external grants for home adaptations and various other initiatives.
| Our performance | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | Target |
| Total losses from empty homes | 0.71% | 1.96% | 2.11% | 1.09% | 0.82% | 1.5% |
| Average repair cost for each empty home | £2,516 | £2,096 | £2,910 | £3,461 | £4,431 | £5,303 |
| Average re-let times | 22 days | 47 days | 86.3 days | 49 days | 51 days | 28 days |
| Current arrears | 4.66% | 5.29% | 5.41% | 4.16% | 4.58% | 3.8% |
Communication
Communication takes many forms at Places for People Scotland, whether it’s a quick phone update, meeting Customers in their homes, sending out news updates and letters, or engaging through social media and our website. When we connect with our Customers, we strive to offer a variety of communication methods and formats that are timely, clear, transparent and accessible.
We’ve strengthened how we manage complaints, with clearer governance, better tools for our Colleagues and a renewed focus on swift, fair resolution, so every Customer feels heard. This is part of our broader move to a more proactive, relationship based service that puts Customers first.
Additionally, we launched our new and improved Customer Portal in August 2025, which has been designed to make it easier for Customers to track payments, report repairs and submit complaints.
We’re continuing to share information from the region and wider business through our regular Scotland Customer email bulletin.
Total number of stage 1 complaints:
1099
Stage 1 complaints responded to in full:
97.3%
Average time to respond to stage 1 complaints:
2.47 days
Total number of stage 2 complaints:
111
Stage 2 complaints responded to in full:
93.23%
Average time to respond to stage 2 complaints:
20.44 days
Participation
Our Customer engagement strategy continues to evolve, with new opportunities for Customers to tell us what they think about our services, policies and processes, so we can improve their experience and satisfaction.
We launched our Customer insight panel — The Listening Room — in September 2025, marking a significant step forward in enhancing Customer participation. Designed as a secure, anonymous and accessible digital platform, it enables Customers to share feedback through surveys and forums, with insights feeding directly into service improvements.
We’ve been collaborating with Customers to restructure our Scotland Customer Group to align more closely with the Scottish Board, holding them to account and ensuring the voices of independent tenants’ groups in Scotland are represented.
Our National Customer Group continues to play a pivotal role in governance and scrutiny across England and Scotland, ensuring Customer perspectives are embedded in decision making at the highest level.
Get involved and have your say
Social impact
Social impact is central to our mission of creating and managing thriving Communities. We aim to make a difference through our work by helping Customers and Communities to reach their potential. During the financial year 2024/25, we generated over £14 million in social impact in Scotland.
We support Customers through a range of services, taking a holistic approach to Customer needs, knowing there is rarely only one issue a Customer may face. Our financial inclusion team in Scotland supported 754 Customers to generate an additional £2 million in income through rent related benefits, disability benefits, and earnings replacement.
One Customer supported by the team to reduce her arrears by £2,200 by updating her Universal Credit claim shared:
“I’ve been so stressed and I wasn’t able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m glad this is getting sorted out. I can’t express my gratitude for your kindness and caring to help me.”
Our financial inclusion team attended 28 events and benefits workshops across our Communities and supported Customers in need with almost £10,000 in food bank vouchers. Through our partnership with the Big Energy Savings Network, funded by Citizens Advice, we supported an additional 273 Customers in Edinburgh with energy advice telephone calls and group energy sessions.
We also deliver social impact through partnerships, distributing grants and securing external funding using our Group’s assets and working with our supply chain. We supported 54 projects to create thriving Communities in Scotland during the last financial year, including Hays Community Hub in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Tool Library, and The Ridge in Dunbar.
Hays Community Hub acts as a base to deliver our financial inclusion and housing services along with a range of activities from external partners, including Sudanese Community, Pet Foodbank, Hays Community Pantry, and Grassroots Clothing, supporting more than 1,400 Customers each year.
In late 2024, we provided a £40,000 grant to The Ridge in Dunbar, a charity which supports disadvantaged individuals by equipping them with skills, qualifications and work experience. Our supply chain helped The Ridge to finish renovating its new hub at Black Bull Close to help expand its ability to provide essential services in the Community.
Social value generated through our core work and social impact activities:
£14 million
Projects supported to create thriving Communities:
54
People supported through our Community projects:
12,807
Raised from external sources to support our social value activities:
£31,700
People supported with education, employment or training:
568
People supported through projects targeting health and wellbeing:
6,304
Customers supported with financial and digital inclusion,including hardship funding:
4,243
People supported through projects targeting sustainable, resilient Communities: