Scottish Government announces funding of almost £1m for affordable housing

The Scottish Government has announced funding of almost £1 million to support the building of affordable housing.

In partnership with the Nationwide Foundation, up to £960,000 will be invested in the Communities Housing Trust (CHT) and South of Scotland Community Housing (SoSCH) to deliver housing over the next three years.

Both groups help to facilitate community-led housing projects in the Highlands and the south of the country.

Announcing the spending during a visit to the CHT-supported development Auchtercairn in Gairloch, Wester Ross, housing minister Paul McLennan said: “Community housing trusts play an essential role in supporting the delivery of affordable homes in rural and island areas.

“This development is a great example of how community-led organisations can build homes that meet the needs of local people.

“That is why I am pleased the Scottish Government is providing new funding for these organisations, provided in partnership with the Nationwide Foundation.

“Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in remote, rural and island communities and the Scottish Government has committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 – with at least 10% in remote, rural and island areas.

“We are providing support of up to £30 million over this parliament through our Rural and Island Housing Fund. We are also developing a Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, to be published in autumn.”

Sam Stewart, interim chief executive of the Nationwide Foundation, said community-led housing “offers a genuine alternative to mainstream forms of development and a strong mechanism for delivering affordable homes”.

The chief executive of Communities Housing Trust, Ronnie MacRae; and the chief executive of South of Scotland Community Housing, Mike Staples, said: “This funding package means our organisations can provide early-stage engagement and support to a greater number and range of rural communities facing extreme housing pressures.

“Enabling communities to increase knowledge and capacity to deliver projects, significantly increasing the pipeline of deliverable affordable homes that meet local needs.

“We are very grateful for the opportunities this will provide to raise awareness and grow the community-led housing model across Scotland.”

The pledge to build 110,000 more affordable homes by 2032 stems from the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and the Greens.

Green rural affairs spokeswoman Ariane Burgess said the party is “delivering for rural Scotland” in Government.

She added: “Community housing trusts play an increasingly important role in the more rural communities where a handful of new homes can ensure a community’s population is given the opportunity to grow.

“But the potential to do so much more is huge, so this funding package provides greater certainty to plan work over the next three years and deliver the high-quality affordable housing that is so badly needed.

“This was an important commitment in the co-operation agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government and I am delighted that we are making it a reality.”