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An innovative partnership project is helping to tackle the urgent need for affordable housing on Mull.

Councillors today approved a grant of £12,000 from the Strategic Housing Fund to enable Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT), an established landlord of affordable properties, to acquire a two-bedroom property in Oakfield, Dervaig.

There are around one hundred and seventy homes in Dervaig, an area of high housing need and demand, of which 16% don’t meet local needs, as they are either second/holiday homes or empty/long term unoccupied. In addition, there are a number of short-term holiday lets and only seven mainstream social houses in the village.

MICT secured a Rural and Islands Housing Fund Grant of £184,220 from the Scottish Government to assist with the purchase of the property that became available for sale at £230,000. The Strategic Housing Fund grant will help with the purchase.

The Dervaig property will be the first Community Trust purchase. MICT has a portfolio of seven affordable rental properties on Mull that has helped to increase the number of affordable houses for rent on the island.

The Council works closely with Registered Social Landlords (RSL) and Community Housing Trusts to help deliver additional affordable housing across Pվɫ��Ƭ and Bute. The traditional route is new build housing but since declaring the housing emergency, there has also been a drive to purchase properties on the open market in areas of high housing need and demand.

A ‘buy back’ scheme on the Council website encourages homeowners looking to sell their properties to get in touch, enabling the Council to work with an RSL or Community Trust alongside the Scottish Government to purchase properties for affordable to rent homes. Twenty-four properties so far this year came into the affordable rented sector through this route.  

Councillor Jim Lynch, Policy Lead for Housing:
“The scale of the housing challenges across Pվɫ��Ƭ and Bute means that it’s essential we explore all potential options to increase the amount of affordable housing in our communities and support future growth for the area.

“Working together with our partners in the RSL and Community Trust sector to address this issue is a key element of our strategy. We’re delighted to help Mull with a housing grant and hope to deliver similar support across Pվɫ��Ƭ and Bute to help ease the housing shortage.”