Highland Welcomes Homestake Expansion

The Highland Council welcomes Communities Minister Rhona Brankin’s announcement of £10 million funding to extend the open market Homestake pilot scheme to a further six local authority areas in Scotland.

The Minister said the open market version of the shared-equity scheme, which is managed by Communities Scotland, would be tested further in six areas of high property demand including the Highland Council area layer this year.

Open market Homestake will also be made available to people on low incomes in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perth and Kinross and Stirling local authority areas.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chair of The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee said: "The Highland Council welcomes the extension of the open market Homestake scheme to the Highland area. This will give another opportunity for those who want to buy their own home but cannot afford to so alongside the already successful new build Homestake programme operating in the highlands.

“The Council looks forward to working with the Scottish Executive on the details of how open market Homestake will operate which we trust will not be to the detriment of the existing measures to increase the supply of affordable housing in the Highlands.

“The Council also welcomes the Minister’s announcement that Communities Scotland programme for the Highlands will be over £36million to provide 500 new homes. The Highlands desperately needs continued long term housing investment at these levels if we are to tackle the current shortage of affordable housing now and in the future.”

For further information please contact: Allan Maguire, Head of Housing Development,. The Highland Council, Housing Service tel: 01463 702528.