12 July 2012
The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust (HSCHT) has been awarded £70,000 of government funding to help people in rural communities build their own homes. The ‘Self Build Initiative Fund’ will support the trust’s work to make affordable rural housing a reality and will be rolling into action within the next few weeks.
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Innovative schemes for affordable housing
The trust already has a bank of discounted serviced plots available in six Highland communities: Beauly in Inverness-shire, Shieldaig, Aultbea and Kishorn in Ross-shire, Bettyhill in Sutherland and Skeabost on Skye, and offers a number of different schemes including rent-to-buy, deferred plot payment and partial build.
HSCHT’s Director Ronnie MacRae, said: “Our research suggests that when local people are able to build their own home and do so in an affordable way it has tremendously positive effects in terms of wider community resilience.
“If people are able to stay within their communities that, in turn, impacts on schools, jobs, transport and a wide range of support services.”
For more information, visit The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust.
