Home building industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS) has promoted Karen Campbell to director of policy & operations.

The role will see Campbell responsible for developing and promoting the organisation’s position on a number of issues hampering the industry’s ability to increase much needed supply such as access to development finance, mortgage lending, skill shortages and the low carbon challenge.

The announcement marks Campbell’s tenth year with HFS and sees her join its 23-strong board of leading industry figures as the first female in over a decade.

The appointment also comes at a crucial time for the organisation as it prepares for the UK General Election in May and Scottish elections in 2016 with Campbell highlighting the need for housing to be raised up the political agenda if the country’s chronic undersupply is to be tackled.

Karen Campbell said: “Scotland’s housing crisis affects all tenures, whether for social/private rent or sale. This is having a severe impact on the lives of Scots across the whole country, particularly young people and growing families.

“No other sector impacts such a wide range of policy issues yet the number of new homes being built has fallen to its lowest level in some 70 years, threatening Scotland’s social and economic well-being.

“Whilst initiatives such as the new Help to Buy (Scotland) Small Developers scheme launched this week are welcome, more bold and decisive political action at both local and national levels is required in order to ensure we have enough homes in the right locations to meet our country’s diverse housing needs.

“Creating jobs, maintaining vital skills and helping in the fight against fuel poverty, this is also fundamental to achieving the First Minister’s personal mission of improving ‘opportunity for all’.

“Securing such political undertaking will form the basis of our manifesto calls during the busy election campaigning period.”

Campbell (35) holds an MSc in Housing and an MA in Social Policy. A member of the Institute of Directors, she also currently sits on Edinburgh-based Dunedin Canmore Housing and Enterprise boards.