CIH Scotland director asks sector to back campaign to safeguard domestic abuse victims

The national director of Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has called on housing associations and local authorities to support the organisation’s ‘Make a Stand’ campaign.

In his opening speech to hundreds of housing professionals at the institute’s Scotland’s Housing Festival 2025, which opens today in Edinburgh.

“I know so many over the last 10 years have done a huge amount in improving your policies and delivering for victims of domestic abuse,” Callum Chomczuk told attendees.

“But I also know that not every landlord has a policy in place, and certainly not policy that’s making the difference that we need.

“So ahead of the legislation the government parliament is reviewing right now and will hopefully pass later this year that will mandate a domestic abuse policy requirement for every social landlord, let’s get ahead of it

“We know that domestic abuse is the main cause of homelessness, of affecting women in Scotland. So let’s do what we can to address that.”

The campaign was launched in 2018 to encourage social landlords to make change their practices to improve their support for victims and survivors.

More than 70 landlords in Scotland have pledged to support the campaign, but the CIH said that its own research showed that most social landlords did not have an appropriate domestic abuse policy.

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The Scottish parliament is currently scrutinising the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which includes new protections for victims and survivors.

The bill would require social landlords to have a policy and introduce additional protections to people in social housing who experience domestic abuse by allowing landlords to apply to the court to end the tenancy rights of someone who has been abusive to their partner or ex-partner.

Scotland’s Housing Festival 2025, which is run by CIH Scotland, will run from Tuesday to Wednesday, bringing together professionals from across the housing sector.