SFHA Annual Conference speaker interview: Dougie Paterson
Ahead of our Annual Conference, taking place on 14 and 15 June at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, Dougie Paterson, Social Innovation Lead at Berwickshire Housing Association chatted with us about how we can tackle the cost of living crisis and the support housing organisations can offer communities.
What are you discussing at the conference and why is this an important issue?
Rising fuel prices and cost-of-living crisis is already severely impacting on those who on the most vulnerable on lowest incomes. Housing Associations are uniquely placed as community anchor organisations to help provide direct and immediate support to those who are most at risk. I will focus on how the Scottish Borders Housing Network has collaborated to mitigate fuel poverty alongside BEAM, an innovative employability and mentoring project with the Wise Group. The workshop will also highlight the BHA’s pioneering BeFriend and BeWell projects that focus on loneliness, isolation and mental health support.
What more should be done to tackle poverty and inequality, particularly given the current cost of living crisis?
The scale of the cost-of-living crisis feels like an overwhelming challenge on top of existing poverty and inequality experienced by too many. I will advocate that Housing Associations can and already do make a difference but can do more in partnership with each other and the wider community. We can also learn from the pandemic and amplify the community-led responses as we saw so clearly grow from our neighbourhoods. The economic crisis will likely endure for some time, so should our proactive and multi-layered response.
How can we achieve the Scottish Government’s vision of a fairer Scotland as we continue to recover from the pandemic?
Realising the vision of a farer Scotland will be judged by how we respond to those who already experience most inequality in our society. Our sector can play a pivotal role in implementing policies and funding that reverse this to ensure that progress is sustained. Social Housing is a progressive sector that has fundamentally contributed to reducing poverty rates in Scotland. But we can do so much more to make Scotland a more equal society that values everyone.
SFHA Annual Conference
14 and 15 June 2022, Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow
Dougie will be speaking during the 'Supporting tenants with the cost of living crisis' workshop on Wednesday 15 June.