Agenda item

An overview from Harry Whitmore, South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH) on support available to communities for community housing projects.

The Chair introduced Harry Whitmore of South of Scotland Community Housing (SOSCH) to present on support available to communities for community housing projects.  SOSCH were established in 2006 as a community-led housing enabler in order to address shortfalls in rural housing supply in South West Scotland.  SOSCH supported community organisations to deliver affordable community-led housing within the context of community-ownership of land and assets and Land Reform.  Community-led housing typically took the model of being owned by a Community Development Trust which allowed for the ownership of housing by community trusts and also assets such as shops and renewable energy sources.  Benefits of community housing included the provision of affordable homes for local people and workers, particularly in rural areas.  Other benefits of community-led housing stated by SOSCH included encouraging repopulation of rural areas, regenerating local economies through the provision of housing, repurpose derelict or empty buildings, and to act as a reliable source of revenue for community organisations.  SOSCH offered support for community organisations by providing a long-term project lifecycle support.  SOSCH had a team of five people working across the entire of the South of Scotland on services related to community-led housing and were engaged in over 35 communities.  The support that SOSCH provided were helping through the policy and funding contexts of community-led housing and nurture partnerships on a regional, national and international level.

MEMBER

Councillor Hamilton joined the meeting during discussion of the item.

Communities could use SOSCH support to properly establish trusts, hire staff for local groups to take forward work and to access funding.  Funding opportunities were presented which included the Rural Housing Fund and Scottish Land Fund, Architectural Heritage Fund, South of Scotland Enterprise, Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF); Borderlands Growth Deal, Ecological Building Society, Wind Farm Funds, Empty Homes Grant Scheme, and SSE Scottish Borders Sustainable Development Fund.  SOSCH supported community groups through established routes to community asset ownership which included Community Right to Buy, Community Asset Transfer, and open market or negotiated sales.  Mr Whitmore explained that as the Community-Led Housing Coordinator for South East Scotland role was part-funded by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership there was a focus on bringing empty building into use as community-led housing.  Benefits of this route included a reduced carbon footprint from preventing the demolition of old building and building new properties, aiding town centre renewal, restoring confidence in local property markets by ending long-term empty properties, preserving built heritage and encouraging community participation.  Mr Whitmore explained that Eyemouth was the only settlement in Berwickshire not eligible for the rural housing fund which may be caused by its proximity to larger settlements.  There were vacant and long-term empty property hotspots in Berwickshire – settlements that highlighted were Greenlaw, Coldstream South, Swinton, Leitholm and Fogo.  Cranshaws and Abbey St Bathans were also affected by a high number of second homes.  Mr Whitmore asked attendees to consider opportunities for community-led housing and to engage SOSCH in their deliberations, and answered questions from those in attendance.  Mr Whitmore advised that projects typically took 5 years from conception to moving-in of tenants.  The Chair thanked Mr Whitmore for the presentation.

DECISION

(a)       AGREED to circulate SOSCH presentation slides and contact details for Mr Whitmore to Area Partnership attendees; and,

(b)       NOTED the update.