Moray Finch General Manager, Mull and Iona Community Trust Community Land Scotland 2017 Conference Delivering Affordable Housing WHERE? Delivering Affordable Housing • Isle of Mull • ~3000 residents • Aging population (but increasing) • Tourism dominated economy, also fishing, aquaculture, farming, forestry, crafts • High proportion of second homes – 13% in Argyll but 30% in Ulva Ferry • 110 residents within school catchment area Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing WHY? Delivering Affordable Housing • 2010 Ulva School threatened with closure • Ulva School Community Association (USCA) formed to mount a campaign against closure • USCA carried out their own Housing Needs Analysis • March 2011 A&BC lifted threat of school closures • USCA realised the battle was won • BUT NOT THE WAR!! Delivering Affordable Housing HOW? Delivering Affordable Housing • USCA asked MICT for capacity building support • Joint application to HIE was successful and MICT then employed a Local Development Officer • Extensive consultations produced a Community Development Plan with prioritised list of projects to help Strengthen the Community and sustain the school • Number one priority? •Affordable Housing! Delivering Affordable Housing • Number 1 priority of Community Development Plan - Affordable housing • Local landowner offered building plots • Meeting with Derek Logie and USCA • Scottish Land Fund for purchase and revenue costs to employ a Housing Project Manager Delivering Affordable Housing
March 2015 Delivering Affordable Housing • Funding package • A&BC Rural Housing Development Fund • Rural Housing Fund • Quaker Housing Trust grant • Quaker Housing Trust interest free loan • Trusthouse Charitable Trust • Donations Delivering Affordable Housing WHAT? Delivering Affordable Housing • Consultation with USCA and wider community • Community led design process, key attributes • Energy Efficiency • Living Space • Flexibility • Sustainability • Secure tenancy • Nice Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing WHO? Delivering Affordable Housing • Allocation policy drawn up with help from West Highland Housing Association • Designed to favour families with links to the area and with children for the primary school • Rents to be mid-market (£443 pcm) • Annual space heating bills ~£350 per year Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing Delivering Affordable Housing Closing Thoughts
• Officially there is no demand for the Ulva Ferry Houses – REALLY? We hope to build more!! • Mull businesses are constrained by lack of housing for prospective employees • Building Standards need to be updated to require mechanical ventilation heat recovery or similar, along with even lower annual space heating demand. This will need government incentives! • The Ulva ferry Housing project; • is revealing the hidden demand • moving towards a new standard of energy efficiency to make affordable housing affordable to heat • directly addressing population decline in a remote rural location Reminder of why!! Thanks to our funders