Blueprint for social housing

Update on new homes

Councillors will tomorrow be asked to approve a new plan to provide more affordable social housing.

At a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council’s housing and communities committee on Wednesday, October 31, elected members will be presented with an updated strategic housing investment plan.

The plan sets out how the Scottish Government funding for the development of affordable housing is being used in Perth and Kinross.

Priorities for the region in the most recent local housing strategy include creating more affordable homes, making sure communities are safe and secure, making sure people can live independently at home for as long as possible, and ensuring homes are warm, energy efficient and low carbon, as well as affordable to hear.

The council has to update their affordable housing strategy annually, and submit it to be Scottish Government.

Councillor Peter Barrett, convener of housing and communities at the council, said: “There is a high demand for housing in Perth and Kinross, which is set to continue given the projected increase in population over the next 15 to 20 years.

“It is therefore essential that more new homes are built to meet these needs.

“Due to a number of factors and influences such as land acquisition and planning processes, it is necessary to review and re-prioritise the strategic housing investment plan on an ongoing basis.”

The report will say the target for social housing is 150 houses a year.

During the last financial year, 161 additional homes were completed between the local authority and its registered social landlord partnership.

This includes 41 buy backs of ex-council homes, purchased by the council in this time.

And 1483 additional affordable homes will be started by April 2025, on top of the 188 houses that will become available before April next year.

Cllr Barrett added: “It is one of our highest priorities as a council to provide as much affordable, high quality accommodation as we can for people in Perth and Kinross.

“We are doing this through a number of innovative projects such as our new build programme, buy backs and bringing empty properties back into use as housing.

“We also work very closely with local partner housing providers to ensure we are delivering housing which meet the needs of our communities, especially the most vulnerable people in those communities.”