The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2023/24 – 2027/28 sets out the investment priorities of the council and its local housing association partners for affordable housing over the coming years.

The SHIP sits alongside the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) as one of the main delivery plans for additional local housing. It has been developed through engagement with community members, Housing Association partners, the Health and Social Care Partnership, housing developers and the council’s Housing, Planning and Economic Development teams.

Between 2016/17 – 2020/21 a total of 963 affordable homes were delivered in Perth and Kinross - an average of 193 per year. During 2021/22 the council and its local housing association partners delivered 308 affordable homes against a target of 150 - a significant achievement given the disruption caused by the pandemic.

A report on the updated SHIP to be considered by the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday 2nd November estimates that the council and its local housing partners could deliver 1,500 new affordable homes over the period 2023/24 - 27/28, using Scottish Government subsidies of around £84m as well as local investment.

Housing will be provided through new builds, replacing older homes, bringing empty homes back into use as housing, buying back ex-council homes and re-modelling existing buildings for new housing.

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 support needs, helping them to live independently and happily in the community.
• Be built in areas of high demand, 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 150 per year target working alongside our local housing partners. I am pleased that the updated SHIP for the next five years remains very ambitious.”

He added: “This plan will help us achieve the outcomes set out in our Local Housing Strategy, and also 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.