Research Launch: Prosperity Begins at Home
Recorded: 29th September 2025
A major new report, commissioned by the David Hume Institute, authored by Professor Duncan Maclennan CBE calls for bold action on housing to secure long-term economic growth and reduce inequality across Scotland.
The in-depth research by global housing expert, Professor Maclennan, draws on interviews and roundtable discussions from organisations and individuals involved across the Scottish Housing system.
The study, Prosperity Begins at Home: Disruptions to Improve Scotland’s Housing System, calls for bold, sweeping policy reforms.
It argues that housing has been wrongly treated as a narrow social issue, and advocates for an urgent shift in understanding, recognising that housing is critical economic infrastructure shaping jobs, wealth, climate progress, and wellbeing.
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of how Scotland’s housing system must adapt to meet twenty-first century challenges. It presents evidence that inadequate housing supply, poor affordability and weak spatial planning are holding back productivity, increasing inequality and exacerbating regional disparities.
The event to launch the research was chaired by Eli Harji from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and there were reflections from:
Jane Wood, Homes for Scotland
Ken Ross, RDRL Ltd
Calum Murray, CCG (Scotland) Ltd
Callum Chomczuk, Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland
Ann Leslie, Lar Housing Trust
Catch up with the discussion below.
