Argyll and Bute Council has committed to building more than 1,000 new affordable homes over the next five years as part of a major new housing strategy.

The revised Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) has the potential to deliver around 343 new affordable homes in 2021/22 and over 700 additional homes in subsequent years.

The SHIP will help achieve the aims set out in the Council’s Local Housing Strategy, outlining its investment priorities for affordable housing, how they will be delivered, identifying the resources required and the role partners play in the process.

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The Council has overall responsibility for SHIP but the plan is drafted in collaboration with partners including landlords, communities, developers, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders.

A strong focus for the new plan, which covers the five year period 2022/23-2026/27, has been engagement with the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to ensure that people in Argyll and Bute communities with health and social care needs have access to housing which maximises their health, wellbeing and independence.

The revised SHIP proposals will be submitted to the Scottish Government for review in October.

Council Leader, Robin Currie said: "The delivery of local affordable housing in Argyll and Bute remains a priority for the council. We want our communities to thrive and we want to attract new residents and business to the area.

"This investment not only provides much needed good quality homes for future generations, it also provides employment opportunities for many people in the construction industry, including new apprenticeships, which will generate additional investment in the local community."