Ex-Scotland rugby captain Kelly Brown vows to tackle housing crisis

A former Scotland rugby captain has pledged to display the “drive and determination” he had on the pitch towards tackling the country’s housing crisis.

Kelly Brown, who won 64 caps for Scotland and took to the field for both Glasgow Warriors and Saracens, has been appointed as the director of Places for People Scotland (PfPS) – a  charitable housing association which owns and manages more than 9,000 homes across the country.

Mr Brown, who joined PfPS in 2023 after quitting his coaching role with London club Saracens, said he was “honoured” to be taking over the job from Katie Smart.

His appointment comes after official figures last month showed there were 17,424 households assessed as being either homeless or threatened with homelessness in the six-month period from April 1 to September 30 2024.

The Scottish Government data also revealed that as of September 30, there were a record 16,634 households living in temporary accommodation – including 10,360 children.

Mr Brown, who retired from playing in 2017, said: “The feeling I got representing my country is something I never thought I’d replicate but working to tackle the housing crisis gives me the same drive and determination as I had then.

“As well as working hard to provide the right homes, in the right places, I will be a strong voice to fight for social housing customers across Scotland.”

The former rugby captain stated: “In Scotland alone, there are 253,000 people waiting for a social home, with 90,000 of those being children.

“Scottish Government and 13 of Scotland’s councils have all declared a housing emergency – and the time for action is now.”

He added: “PfPS continues to play a big role in building more of the desperately needed homes across Scotland, with 2,500 expected over the next five years.

“Beyond bricks and mortar, however, there are also so many challenges social housing customers face every day such as financial issues, health and wellbeing, access to employment and training, and so much more.

“As well as building the quality affordable homes Scotland desperately needs, to tackle the housing crisis we also must ensure those at the centre of it have the additional support they need and that’s a big part of what we do at PfPS. We look beyond the homes we manage and put people at the centre of what we do.”

Ms Smart is moving to the role of director of customer excellence at the Places for People group.

Greg Reed, PfP group chief executive officer, thanked her for the “great job she has done over the last two years in our communities across Scotland”.

He added: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Kelly into this really important role, focusing on ensuring our customers in Scotland have the home they deserve.

“Kelly embodies our ethos of doing the right thing always and his passion and drive to make a difference across our communities make him a huge asset and the perfect fit to lead our work in Scotland.”