FINANCE Secretary John Swinney has announced a deal to deliver new affordable homes for rent in Inverness, providing a boost to the local construction sector and wider economy.
The deal, for nine new homes at Balvonie Braes, is being delivered by Albyn Housing Society through the Scottish Government’s National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative.
This will bring the total number of NHT homes in the Highlands to over 175. Almost 100 of these homes are already complete. It is estimated that the NHT in the Highlands is unlocking around £24 million in housing development, and supporting approximately 225 jobs.
When complete, the homes at Balvonie Braes will be available for rent at mid-market rates for a minimum of five years.
Mr Swinney said, “Housing is and will remain a priority for this Government and we will continue to invest in new affordable homes. Despite the severe cuts to our budgets by the UK Government we are committed to supporting house building across Scotland and delivering our target of 30,000 new, affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament.”
Douglas Russell, Chair of Albyn Housing Society, added, “Albyn is pleased to be at the forefront of delivering new models of affordable housing supply, once again. There is huge demand for housing in Inverness at all tiers of the market, and by developing new and innovative schemes such as the NHT initiative we can assist more people to secure quality affordable accommodation and make the next steps towards home ownership.”
