Election 2021: Inverness and Nairn candidates speak out on the need to address housing shortages which have seen many locals priced out of the market in our exclusive series asking those running for election about the key issues facing the Highlands
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From now until the election we will ask the candidates how they will tackle some of the key issues faced by the Highlands. We start with Ariane Burgess of the Scottish Greens. Her party has put a green recovery at the heart of their campaign and have spoken out against traditional carbon-heavy transport links while calling for hundreds of more teachers to make schooling safer for both pupils and staff.
The issue of housing and keeping Highlanders in the region has been a problem going back generations but it is now beginning to reach crisis point.
Thousands of people are on Highland Council waiting lists to get social housing and the recent rash of developments have yet to be made available.
The local authority is currently consulting on sites to be incorporated into their masterplan – called the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan.
According to the National Records of Scotland, many areas like Caithness will see a steep decline in population both Inverness will grow by 4.5 per cent while Nairn will rise by 4.4 per cent.
That place even greater demand on housing in the area and could yet force prices up with local developers like Tulloch Homes reporting a 12 per cent rise in interest for homes in the north.
Ms Burgess was asked what he sees as the solution to the housing shortage that is driving many Highlanders away from their home towns and villages and sparking a steep decline in population.
She said: "Access to good housing is a fundamental human right. The housing crisis, and our regional demographic crisis, where young people are forced to leave has been brewing for years.
"Dramatic increases in costs and a poor selection of housing tenures coupled with lack of investment and concentrated land ownership are at the heart of this problem.
"Although important for employment, tourism plays a role in removing housing availability through renting holiday homes and AirBnB.
"Across the region communities want to take control of their housing needs and if elected as their MSP I will assist them.
"Tackling the issues requires a range of approaches, and we must work with communities to identify appropriate responses.
"We must develop a mix of affordable housing, including community-developed initiatives and refurbishing existing housing stock.
"We must also raise public housing status and stock by giving local authorities the means to invest in a substantial program of appropriately placed, good quality housing.
"Land reform must be taken seriously. Our current pattern of land ownership and control makes it difficult for communities to access suitable local sites to develop much needed housing, while large developers operate a speculative model building hundreds of houses around urban centres, largely ignoring the needs of local communities.
"We can introduce measures that ensure housing remains available and accessible to local people. Short-term holiday lets and second homes should be regulated through the planning system so there are enough houses to meet local needs.
"Local authorities should be given powers to issue Empty Property Use Orders to bring vacant properties back into use, and Compulsory Sales Orders where owners refuse to take action. Some form of land tax should also be implemented incentivising landowners to bring vacant and derelict land and properties back into use.
"Throughout the implementation of these urgently needed initiatives communities and young people must be empowered to lead the way."
Tomorrow the SNP's candidate, Fergus Ewing tell us that he thinks some progress has been made.
