Meet SFHA's new Policy Lead at our Increasing Housing Supply Conference

By Rory Hughes, SFHA Policy Lead

I seemingly picked an opportune time to join  SFHA as a Policy Lead on New Supply because on June 25, we are hosting our Increasing Housing Supply Conference at the Raddison Blu in Glasgow.  

Having spent most of my housing policy career (and life) down south, the conference is an ideal opportunity for me (and you) to meet and hear from a wide-range of SFHA members and key movers and shakers in social housing development in Scotland. 

And the timing of the conference isn’t just great for me, it is also happening in the midst of a critical debate on rebooting social housing supply in Scotland. At the conference’s opening plenary, we will tackle this head on and hear from Professor Ken Gibb, the author of an insightful recent report on “Re-booting the Affordable Housing Supply Programme” – followed by discussion on the topic with the SHR and Scottish Government, ably chaired by Gordon MaCrae from Shelter Scotland.

It will be interesting to see how this plenary discussion is shaped by the flurry of recent publications on this topic, from the likes of Professor Duncan Maclennan with the David Hume Institute, Prosper and the Scottish Government’s own AHSP Deliverability Review.  The Spending Review will likely provide two critical things for us in Scotland, more multi-year funding certainty for Scottish Government, and the knock-on effects of the expected increase in social housing development grant (and wider strategy) for the English social housing sector. 

But we won’t just be talking money, I’m also excited for a later panel featuring Scotland’s Chief Planner Dr Fiona Simpson exploring the role of planning and land policy in unlocking new social housing supply. Discussion will not only look at what is happening in Scotland, but also debate the merits of the intense focus on planning reform at Westminster (including the likes of developing New Towns, something I recently spent time working on in my prior role at the National Housing Federation). 

I can’t wait to meet and hear from a wide range of SFHA members, all of whom are at the forefront of securing the supply of social homes we so desperately need to tackle the housing emergency. There are sessions exploring the results from a partnership-driven approach to new supply and the role of innovative acquisitions, conversions and renovations. We will also be digging down into the experiences and careers of women in development roles with WISH and exploring how we retain talent in the development sector through such a turbulent time.

See you at the Radisson Blu! 

Rory Hughes joined SFHA in May 2025 as a Policy Lead. He focuses on areas of policy on issues such as development and building safety and maintenance.

Rory has previously worked as housing policy lead at the National Union of Students, spent time as an independent housing policy and campaigns consultant and most recently joins us from the National Housing Federation in England.  He can be found on LinkedIn here and contacted via email at rhughes@sfha.co.uk