Community Links Scotland – News

Scottish Housing Connections Launch a New Website

The Scottish Housing Connections consortium of 22 housing associations from the West and Central Scotland has launched a newly redesigned website developed to provide up-to-date information for their tenants and encourage co-operation between member organisations.

The launch on Friday 12th August was attended by representatives from the member associations who are responsible for creating and updating the content of the website. The flexible structure of the site gives them the opportunity to fully customise the information provided for their clients and share their resources and expertise with other housing organisations.

The project has been supported by Community Links Scotland from the initial idea through to the current redesign process. Community Links also provide technical support and training for administrators of the website as well as administrative support to the consortium.

Callum Smith, who was instrumental in driving forward the initial development of the website with six housing associations in the 1990s, spoke at the party about the success of SHC in joining together organisations with the same aim and vision and creating a collage of different ideas with limited funding.

“I think that the website is a superb example of what is possible if people are flexible in their approach to their work and this can only foster better relations between housing associations and improvements to the services they provide to their clients.”

Callum Smith speaking at the SHC website launch party

“I know full well from personal experience just how difficult it can be to develop a project with a wide range of partners who all have different ideas about what the website should do and how it should look.”

“I hope the website continues to develop and evolve and I am sure that it will continue to grow arms and legs as technology develops and new RSLs will be attracted to join in.”

The consortium plans to keep developing the website and adding new features that would showcase examples of joint working of housing organisations in the communities and provide general advice on related social issues. With the success of the website, an expansion to other areas in Scotland and the rest of the UK is a possibility.