Scottish Special Housing Association facts for kids

The Scottish Special Housing Association (SSHA) was an important group in Scotland. It started in 1937. Its main goal was to build good homes for people who needed them. These homes were known as "social housing."

What Was the Scottish Special Housing Association?

The SSHA had its main offices in Edinburgh. Many experts worked there. These included architects, who design buildings. Engineers also worked there, making sure buildings were strong and safe. Quantity surveyors helped manage the costs of building projects.

Building Homes Across Scotland

The SSHA built many housing areas across Scotland. Some famous ones were in Glasgow. These included parts of Hutchesontown, Arden, Toryglen, and Wyndford. "Area D" in Hutchesontown was a good example of their successful work.

The SSHA was modern for its time. It was one of the first groups to use computers to help design buildings. This is called Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD).

Leadership and Building Methods

From 1968 to 1972, Sir William Gray was the leader of the SSHA. He later became the Lord Provost of Glasgow. This is a special role, like being the mayor of the city.

The SSHA had its own large team of workers. This team was called the Direct Labour Organisation (DLO). They helped create a special way of building. It used a material called "no-fines concrete." This method was used to build thousands of homes quickly and well.

The End of the SSHA

In 1989, the SSHA was closed down. This happened because of new government rules at the time. Some of its jobs were given to a new group called Scottish Homes.

The SSHA had built about 75,000 homes. Between 1990 and 2005, these homes were given to other groups. These groups were called housing associations and co-operatives. They continued to manage and provide homes for people.