The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2025/26 – 2029/30 outlines the investment priorities of the Council and its local Housing Association partners for affordable housing in the coming years.
The SHIP complements the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) as one of the key delivery plans for additional local housing. It was developed through collaboration with Registered Social Landlords, the Health and Social Care Partnership, tenants, housing developers, and the Council's Housing, Planning, and Economic Development teams.
Since 2016/17, the Council and its partners have successfully delivered almost 2,000 affordable homes in Perth and Kinross, exceeding their target of 210 affordable homes per year with an average of 274.
The projection for 2024/25 is an additional 223 affordable homes, followed by a yearly average of 230 new affordable homes over the next five years.
A report on the updated SHIP, to be considered by the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday, October 2nd, estimates that the Council and its local housing partners could deliver an additional 1,152 new affordable homes during the period 2025/26 – 29/30, utilizing Scottish Government subsidies and local investment.
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These new homes will be provided through various methods, including Council new build projects, replacing older homes, bringing empty homes back into use, buying back ex-Council homes, remodeling existing buildings for new housing, and purchasing 'off-the-shelf' housing from developers.
The homes will:
• All be built to the highest standards, with energy efficiency measures included to help meet local and national climate change targets.
• Include housing for people with particular needs, helping them to live independently and happily in the community.
• Be built in areas of high demand, including rural areas, giving people access to housing of a type and in an area suitable for their current and future needs.
Housing and Social Wellbeing Convener, Councillor Tom McEwan, said: "High quality affordable homes significantly enhance the overall quality of life for the people who live in them. This in-turn has a positive effect on social issues such as health, employment opportunities and poverty, and that is why delivering more affordable housing is a priority for this Council.
"With demand for housing in Perth and Kinross continuing to rise, and the housing needs of our communities becoming more complex, our commitment to provide a wide range of affordable housing options remains a key strategic aim.
"We have made great progress over the last five-years in Perth and Kinross, consistently delivering more new affordable homes than our target. Here in Perth and Kinross we have a very good working partnership with our partner housing providers, and this has been one of the key factors in the success we have seen.
"I am pleased that the updated SHIP for the next five years continues to be very ambitious. This plan will help us achieve the outcomes set out in our Local Housing Strategy and support the Scottish Government's 'Housing to 2040' agenda which states that everyone should have a safe, energy-efficient home that is affordable and meets their needs, in the place where they want to be."
Members of the Committee will be asked to approve the updated SHIP and its submission to the Scottish Government.
