Highland housing challenge set to be discussed at summit in Aviemore
The Highland Council has called a Housing Challenge Summit to find solutions to the current housing emergency.
The event, held at the Macdonald Aviemore Resort today (October 22) brings together all parties from national and local government and private sector interests from across the fields of energy, housing development and commerce.
The summit is being delivered in partnership with Prosper, with sponsorship from SSEN, Burness Paull and The Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB).
Housing Minister, Paul McLennan will attend and address delegates in a Keynote speech.
He said: “I am pleased to be attending Highland Council’s Housing Challenge Summit and speaking with a range of stakeholders about how we work together to deliver the homes that people need. We know that tackling the housing emergency requires a joint approach between the Scottish Government, UK Government and local authorities and this summit will provide a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to come together to find ways to deliver more homes for communities across the Highlands.
“Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in our communities. We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 70 per cent for social rent and at least 10% in our rural and island communities supported by our Rural and Island Housing Action Plan. Since 2021, we have invested over £180 million grant funding that has supported the delivery of nearly 2,000 affordable homes across the Highland Council area.”
Convener of The Highland Council, Bill Lobban who will chair the summit, said: “I am delighted to welcome the Housing Minister Paul McLennan, and over 100 delegates from a range of public and private sectors, whose input, together with Scottish Government and political representatives, will be invaluable to addressing the housing challenge in the Highlands.
“Affordable housing is an issue that is raised everywhere we speak to communities across the Highlands. For this reason, it is a high priority in the Council’s Programme and Members have declared a Highland Housing Challenge.
“There are also many wider socio-economic benefits in providing more housing, including boosting the construction industry, regeneration of town centres and reversing depopulation of communities. The economic benefits continue over the longer term, through savings on housing benefit, and wider benefits including reduced homelessness, increased employment, and improved health benefits.
“Bringing the envisaged housing solutions to the Highlands is a key component of the economic growth required for the area in the next twenty years, helping us to seize important energy development opportunities, create benefits and sustain both our urban and rural communities.”
The summit will explore the Council’s agreed objectives including levering finance from different means; finding varied mechanisms to build new housing; flexibility regarding the ownership of housing; and finding new ways to maximise the supply of land.
Chair of the Council’s Housing and Property Committee, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair summarised the challenges saying: “It is anticipated that 24,000 new houses will be required in Highland in the next ten years. This is around double that which would normally be built.
“The future demand for housing is based on an updated ten-year Housing Needs Demand Assessment, which incorporates economic modelling including potential increases in jobs connected to the development of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Free Port.
