Affordable housing help for Ulva Ferry is on hand
Mull and Iona Community Trust wants to hear from islanders needing help to find affordable housing.
The trust has already built two new homes opposite Ulva Ferry Primary School providing homes for two families with six children between them and has plans to build four more in the New Year.
News, expected in February, will reveal if it has also been successful in applying to the Scottish Government for money from its Rural and Island Housing Fund.
If it is good news, the hope is to award contracts for the construction in April heading for completion in March 2021. The majority of money from that award would cover build and infrastructure costs for the two three-bedroom homes and two two-bedroom houses planned for Ulva Ferry. Because of the site’s remote locations, a private water supply and private sewage systems would need to be installed, and electric cables and pylons diverted.
Earlier this month the trust received £31,886 from Nationwide Building Society to help tackle housing issues.
It was one of 12 projects to get a share of just over £500,000 from Nationwide’s Community Grant fund focusing on strengthening communities and making a real difference. The final decisions on the applications were made by a local Community Board made up of Nationwide members and colleagues.
David Barlow, a local director for Nationwide, who was on the Community Board, said: ‘Choosing the Ulva Ferry project was a no brainer. People on the board felt really strongly about the work it is doing to provide much-needed affordable housing there.’
Mull and Iona Community Trust’s general manager Moray Finch said the Nationwide’s award was ‘amazing.’
‘It’s a really amazing boost which means we can concentrate on delivering the project at Ulva Ferry and offer support to other communities.
‘The trust would also love to hear from residents who would like to see something similar to Ulva Ferry happen in their community.’
The trust now has its own housing manager in post.