We're hiring! Come and join the team: 

Community Led Housing Officer
Full time (35hpw)
£31,518 to £34,456

This role will provide support to communities and organisations seeking to develop affordable housing, working on projects from inception through to end of construction. Assisting with business planning and funding applications are key duties of this post along with liaising with multiple stakeholders and general awareness raising of community led housing. 

For full job description, person specification and application form, please visit the Recruitment page. 

Deadline for applications is Thursday 13 April, with interviews on Thursday 20 April. 

Inverness Town House, High Street, Inverness IV1 1JJ (click here for map)
Friday 23 September
10.30am - 2pm including lunch

We are looking forward to welcoming you all in person to our 24th AGM at the Town House, Inverness, on Friday 23 September.

The event has been kindly sponsored by Triodos Bank, a great ally in rural community-led housing.

See the speaker programme and feel free to register below. The event is open to all, particularly community organisations and development trusts who are interested in community ownership and/or community-led development, to lay out the current and future context in Scotland, and to support practical next steps.

We will be launching our new multimedia resource, RouteMap to Community Led Housing, which will be freely available to communities. The RouteMap has been kindly funded by the Nationwide Foundation.
 
Communities across Scotland may be looking to buy land or assets for community-led development, to work towards sound, long-term repopulation – while facing increasing challenges.
 
Community ownership can be a huge benefit, though there is often a stumbling block for ‘what happens next’ as communities may lack the capacity for how to usefully transform their new assets.
 
Community-led development can be the most effective approach towards sustainable repopulation, but it can seem a huge undertaking with many trials and tribulations along the way. 
 
The event will focus on how communities get started or progress their plans and ideas for community-led development, what you need to know, and will facilitate peer-to-peer learning where possible. 


Programme

​10.00am Doors open
 
10.30am Keynote speakers:
 
Shona Robison MSP - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing & Local Governance
Calum Macleod - Community Land Scotland
Megan MacInnes - Applecross Community Company
Hugh Ross - Staffin Community Trust
 
11.30am Coffee break
 
11.50am Launch of RouteMap to Community Led Housing: short films and Q&A/panel discussion with the speakers above plus Alan Miller of Triodos Bank 
 
12.30pm Lunch
 
1.30pm AGM business – open to all, but only CHT members may vote. Membership is free and open to development trusts and community organisations supportive of our work in community-led housing; join as a member here.

2pm Formal end; attendees may stay to network



As the event includes lunch, please let us know any dietary requirements below.

Please note: The AGM is now fully booked, but we expect a few people to be unable to make it. We are therefore operating a waiting list; add your name below to be notified if a place becomes available. 

The regeneration of the Achtercairn site in Gairloch, north west Highlands, has won ‘Best Regeneration Project – Rural & Suburban’ at the Inside Housing Development Awards in London yesterday.

The awards celebrate the very best residential developments across the UK, and recognise innovation in striving for more sustainable and net zero solutions.

The regeneration of Achtercairn, led by the needs of the community and undertaken by the Communities Housing Trust (CHT), was completed in 2020 during lockdown. It includes a mix of affordable housing, new shops and commercial space, and the GALE Centre which is Scotland’s first public building to be awarded Passivhaus status.

​The development is an example of a climate-friendly ‘20-Minute Neighbourhood’, where key services and amenities are a 20-minute walk, cycle or drive from home. It supports the local circular economy and wider area, while reducing the need to travel. 

The regeneration project has given the village a bustling new centre, while addressing some of the inequalities faced by rural communities, such as access to affordable housing, education opportunities, and shops and services.

The project was made possible with support from the Scottish Government through funding and flexible policies that are empowering many more communities to follow Gairloch’s example. The Highland Council’s support for a wide range of affordable housing tenures that provide choice to communities and those in housing need was also crucial. Other key partners include Albyn Housing Society, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Gairloch Estate, the Ministry Of Defence, the Gairloch & Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE), and many others within the community.

A former brownfield site in the centre of Gairloch with a derelict hotel, Achtercairn was an eyesore for the village which is on the North Coast 500 route popular with tourists. In addition, the number of pupils in the primary school was dropping as families struggled to find suitable accommodation locally.

Working closely with the Gairloch community, CHT acquired several pieces of land and brought together many partners to provide 25 affordable homes of five different tenures with three housing providers; the GALE Centre with offices, Tourist Information Hub, community shop and café, and classroom for learning of all ages. The GALE Centre receives over 40,000 visitors per year and supports 100 people locally by selling their crafts and produce. Also on site is the Gairloch Farm Shop, vet clinic, and a new Air Training Corps facility providing skills and education opportunities.

Ronnie MacRae, CEO of Communities Housing Trust, said: “It’s great to be recognised for this community-led development, showing a 20-Minute Neighbourhood in practice, particularly during the week of COP26. The development has provided a new village centre with a low-energy Passivhaus as the focal point, as well as housing local families and keyworkers in energy-efficient homes built with sustainable materials. It’s reducing rural inequalities and need to travel, and is supporting and promoting the local circular economy.

“All of these factors work towards addressing the climate crisis, and we’re glad to be able to show what’s possible for other rural communities in Scotland, as well as elsewhere in the UK. We’d like to congratulate all other finalists in the category, and thank IHDA for the award. Finally, a thank you to our funder the Nationwide Foundation for enabling us to spread this work nationally, and to all our partners in Gairloch who worked tirelessly to make this a reality, for the future of their village.”

Janet Miles, the managing director of Gairloch & Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE), said: “Everyone at GALE is delighted that Gairloch has received this award and been recognised for its achievements in regeneration. We're very proud of the part GALE has played in this, having been driving community-led regeneration in the area for over 20 years now. Our vision was to create a community-owned, social and economic hub in the derelict centre of the village - a physical heart to the community. The development has enabled us to turn this vision into a reality.”

Wendy Watson, owner of Gairloch Farm Shop, said: “The school roll is now a bit higher, we have more people in our local school. The numbers were declining.

​“Having this little area that’s now been developed, it stops people going straight out the village… ultimately the housing and everything else that’s here, I would say the difference is phenomenal to our village.”

​
> Read more about how the development is helping to address the climate crisis

> Read more about the Achtercairn project

We are delighted that the Old Sawmill development at Rothiemurchus near Aviemore has been selected as a joint winner in the Rural Housing category of the Scottish Land & Estates Helping It Happen Awards, at a virtual ceremony on 27 October. 

The development is a collaboration between members of the local community, the Rothiemurchus Estate, and the Communities Housing Trust.

It provided a total of six self-build homes on Rothiemurchus land: four affordable plots for the local community that required no public subsidy, and two open-market plots, within the Cairngorms National Park.

This cross-subsidy model has now been incorporated into the Cairngorm National Park's Local Development Plan, to provide affordable housing on exception sites, which will support other communities adopt a similar model if needed. 

The affordable self-build homes all have the Rural Housing Burden attached, a legal title condition which protects the property’s affordability in perpetuity and prioritises the local community in future sales, helping prevent holiday- and second-home ownership.

Read more about the development in the case study here, and more on the award here.

Watch a short clip with Lesley McKenna, Old Sawmill co-operative member and resident who helped drive the project forward: 

Susan Hunter, Principal Officer of CHT, said: "We are delighted to win this award as it exemplifies the objectives of CHT. This development has been successful thanks to Johnnie Grant of Rothiemurchus for being open to finding a way to provide land for affordable housing; the absolute determination and staying power of the four families who put in a tremendous amount of work in taking it through the planning process; the CNPA for recognising the cross-subsidy model and the desperate need for affordable housing; and the CHT team involved in developing the model and making the serviced plots available. The importance of the Rural Housing Burden in rural housing provision is illustrated in these hard-fought homes, as if they are offered for sale, CHT's right to buy back will ensure they will be sold on to other families in the community at a discount from market value."

​On the night, we were really pleased that Rothiemurchus also won the award for Tourism & Visitor Management, and Scourie Community Development Company (SCDC) won the award for Working With Communities. We are working in partnership with SCDC on the north west coast to provide community-led affordable homes, and have conducted a land audit, a housing needs survey, and community engagement work on their behalf. 

Click here for the full list of winners. Congratulations to all finalists and winners, and thank you to SLE and all the event sponsors!

Communities Housing Trust is delighted that two of our developments have been shortlisted in the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)'s Scotland Housing Awards 2021. 

Our collaborative development with Rothiemurchus and members of the Aviemore community has been shortlisted ​in the Excellence in Housing Innovation category.

The Old Sawmill development provided a total of six self-build homes on Rothiemurchus land: four affordable plots for the local community that required no public subsidy, and two open-market plots, within the Cairngorms National Park.

The affordable self-build homes all have the Rural Housing Burden attached, a legal title condition which protects the property’s affordability in perpetuity and prioritises the local community in future sales, helping prevent holiday- and second-home ownership.

The community-led development at Achtercairn in Gairloch has been shortlisted ​In the Excellence in Regeneration category.

This large-scale development to regenerate a derelict brownfield site in the centre of the village provided 25 affordable homes of mixed tenures; the GALE Centre tourist information hub, community shop & cafe (Scotland's first public building to be awarded Passivhaus status); farm shop; Air Training Corps facility; and further sites for development. We worked closely with the local community and a broad range of partners including Albyn Housing Association, Gairloch & Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE), HIE, Highland Council, and University of the Highlands & Islands. 

​The winners of the CIH Scotland Housing Awards will be announced in a ceremony in Glasgow on 25 November 2021. Congratulations to all other finalists and a range of projects! 

Thursday 29 July
11am-11.30am 

Join us for a short online event to hear about the need for affordable housing on an island - Colonsay - and how a community-led approach was the solution. We are working there with Colonsay Community Development Company (CCDC) on a mixed development of housing and commercial units, crucial to the sustainability of island communities. The development was visited last week by Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & Islands (pictured above), who cut the first turf. Read more about the project here. 

The event is free and open to all; please register below. You may also wish to join CHT as a member. Membership is free and open to any community council, community association or similar local community-based organisation. Join here.
​
Event schedule
11am: EGM (only CHT members may vote, but all are welcome to attend. The Notice and special resolution to be voted on can be viewed here.)
11.05am: Community-led housing in Colonsay: presentation by Colonsay Community Development Company
11.15am: Q&A

We are very pleased to welcome Fraser Maclennan to the Development team in a new post, as a recent graduate from Edinburgh Napier University with a BSc in Construction and Project Management. We are keen to help train early-career graduates and Fraser will be a great addition to the team. 

​Originally from Inverness, he left home in 2017 to move to Edinburgh, seeking new opportunities to learn about a subject of interest to him. After studying for four fun years in Edinburgh, he decided to return home to Inverness.

In his spare time, he enjoys being active and playing many sports, including football, rugby, and even the occasional game of golf. He also enjoys travelling and going to festivals - something which has been missed dearly over the last year!

CHT is happy to welcome two new members of staff, Sarah Hobbs and Rob Humphrey.

Sarah joined in December 2020 as Marketing and Communications Assistant, supporting CHT and the communities we work with to share their experiences, and the ongoing need for and impact of our work. 

​She has a background in practical social justice, and working with underserved and underrepresented groups to address systemic social inequality. For the past five years she has worked in marketing roles for small charities and social enterprises, and enjoys finding ways to tell stories, also running a guided Storywalk business. She has previously run educational expeditions, worked in the arts, and been a reindeer herder, which is what brought her to the Highlands.

​Rob joined CHT in March as a Construction Development Officer, working in the Development team to take communities' plans through the development and build stages. 

He has worked in the construction industry in the north of Scotland since 2014, gaining an HND in Construction Management and qualifying as a Certified PassiveHouse Tradesperson. With Carbon Dynamic and later Makar Natural Construction, he worked on various projects across rural and island communities, all involving ecologically and environmentally driven off-site construction methods. He also has insight and experience in rural agricultural communities through helping to run a croft in Sutherland, which has provided real-life lessons on crofting’s vast cultural and historical importance.

Loans of up to £175,000 are now available to help people build their own homes in the Highlands.
 
The Scottish Government’s £4 million Highland Self-Build Loan Fund which launched in April 2016 is extending opportunities for people to self and custom build homes across the region.
 
The available loan funding has now been increased from £150,000 to £175,000 to help an even greater number of people across the Highland Council area.
 
The Highland Self Build Loan Fund is a Scottish Government pilot scheme which aims to rejuvenate what was once the main housing delivery model in the Highlands, and generate growth in the “self-build” sector again. It is being administered by The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust, who are now accepting applications.
 
The fund will increase economic activity in the area and provide financial assistance to people who have in recent years been unable to progress with their self-build projects.

​Announcing the changes to available loan funding, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said:
 
“This £4 million Self-Build Loan Fund is an important opportunity to address the lending difficulties experienced by households looking to build their own homes, and explore how we can increase housing supply while allowing customers to input into the design.
 
“We have taken on board feedback that the £150,000 cap is too restrictive, which is why we are now increasing this cap and making loans of up to £175,000 available for people to build homes that can better suit their needs. We will continue to monitor and review the pilot over its two year lifespan.
 
“This loan fund is part of our More Homes Scotland approach. The government is determined to accelerate housing supply across all tenures, to support families across Scotland get on the housing ladder.”
 
The Highland Self Build Loan Fund is already providing loans which are allowing development to take place across the Highlands, including in smaller rural communities, where new build housing is scarce. This will help meet the housing needs of the community, and will therefore prevent outward migration and boost local employment and skills.

Individuals and families, may have found themselves spending years trying to obtain suitable finance to help them build their own homes, many of which may have spent a considerable amount of time in unsuitable living conditions.
 
This new fund will help these people finally realise their dream, and allow them to move into more comfortable surroundings once they have completed their build.
 
CEO of HSCHT, Ronnie MacRae has said:

“We are delighted to see in the upper limit increased for applications to £175,000. The Scottish Government’s Highland Self Build Loan Fund now has the potential to assist many more Highland households to build their own homes and provide the added social and economic benefits at the same time. We welcome this flexible and responsive approach and the many other new initiatives being provided by The Scottish Government. It is an exciting time for housing options in Scotland.”

​DETAILS
If you are interested in hearing more about the Highland Self Build Loan please contact The Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust on 01463 233 548, or at [email protected]. A brochure and application pack can also be downloaded from www.hscht.co.uk. Twitter - @SelfBuildFund.

This funding will contribute towards the building of around 25 new homes in rural areas around the whole of the Highlands. The houses will be rented for five years to people who cannot afford to instantly buy their own home within the current property market.

The Rent To Buy scheme is an innovative way we look to secure affordable housing for individuals and families who are struggling to get on the property ladder.

Rent To Buy – An Affordable Way To Own Your Own Home

The tenant rents the home for a period of 5 years in an attempt to save up a deposit before purchasing the property. After this 5 year period, HSCHT will also return a percentage of the rent paid to go towards the deposit on the home.
Due to the attachment of a Rural Housing Burden, where the trust maintains 20% equity of the property, it is possible to sell the house to the tenant for about 20% lower than the market value. We also hold the right of pre-emption on the property.
The price of the homes are agreed upon at the beginning of the rental period, ensuring the tenant is not affected by rising house prices.

This will be our third phase of Rent To Buy developments, currently in the process of supplying around 37 new homes to people around the Highlands. In the past our projects have been developed in the following list of villages and towns, some of which (mainly Phase 2) we are currently working on or are due to start shortly:

Phase 1 – Dornoch, Fodderty, Beauly, Auldearn, Lochcarron, Gairloch and Sheildag.
Phase 2 – Dornoch, Gorthleck, Inverarnie, Auldearn, Sheildag, Balmacara, Kyleakin, Flodigarry, Aviemore, Strontian, Acharacle, Invergarry and Mallaig.

Our third phase of Rent To Buy units will aim to supply great affordable housing solutions to towns and villages around the Highlands. Various and different housing types will be supplied to more communities, as HSCHT aim to benefit people in new areas of the Highlands, and perhaps in communities we have worked with in the past.

In an interview with STV News, Ronnie MacRae, our chief executive, said:

“The Scottish Government’s approach to innovative and increased rural development is hugely helpful, and this scheme which has various benefits is proving extremely popular with individuals, contractors and communities alike. The scheme is based entirely on loan finance which has the potential to be recyclable and provide social and economic benefit to rural communities for the longer term.”

The Housing minister Margaret Burgess, who announced the funding during today’s Scotland Policy Event has stated:

“This successful Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme is giving people who might not otherwise have been able to afford their own homes the opportunity to get on the housing ladder. Despite financial challenges over the last few years from Westminster, housing continues to be a priority for us. We are three quarters of the way towards achieving our target of 30,000 additional affordable homes by the end of this Parliament. This boost to the Rural Rent to Buy Scheme will make sure rural communities don’t miss out and they also benefit from new affordable houses which otherwise would not have been built”

Margaret Burgess came to visit some of our projects earlier this year during the summer. She was even present to mark the completion of our Rent To Buy and Greener Homes projects in Fodderty. Meeting with the 4 families as they settled into their new homes – 4 semi-detached modern and sustainable designs by MAKAR Construction.

We are very excited about these new developments, and hope we are able to help people and communities greatly in the near future.

Click on this link –  3 Million For Highland Homes  – to read the full press release by the Scottish Government about the fund.

If you would like any information about our current Rent To Buy Developments, contact me at [email protected]

In other news this week at HSCHT, the first two of our Greener Homes in Alness have been bought, with each looking forward to moving in to their new new modern and sustainable houses.  We are currently still looking for tenants to the other two homes in Alness, as well as properties in Dornoch, Kyleakin and Lochcarron.