Highland Council Leader welcomes government support for housing challenge

HIGHLAND Council Leader welcomes the Scottish Government’s budget announcement of £768m further investment in affordable homes for the coming year.

The Highland Council hosted a housing summit in October to discuss the housing challenges in Highland and potential solutions with private and public sector partners and the Scottish Government.

Council Leader Raymond Bremner said:  

“The Scottish Government’s commitment to assisting us in the housing challenge is very welcome however, and I am keen to see what the further details on the allocation are going to be and how this will apply to Highland.

“I’m aware of the considerable challenges facing local authorities all over Scotland but it is vitally important that we focus on the particular challenges facing Highland which includes doubling our current housing supply and accelerating the delivery of both public and private housing, as well as the availability of sites across Highland communities. 

“It is one of our priorities to seek and seize the opportunities to work with partners to attract investment and undertake a range of solutions to address the shortage of affordable homes in Highland.

“Rural housing makes an important contribution to housing supply in Highland and the Council is implementing a number of commitments to implement solutions towards increasing our housing supply, including repaying £6m into the Housing Landbank Fund.

“We are committed to continue working in collaboration with the Scottish Government and all partners so that we can deliver the required investment in housing to reverse depopulation and sustain and develop thriving communities across the Highlands.”