More affordable housing for Moray

Moray Council has negotiated the purchase of 77 former RAF houses in Elgin and Lossiemouth for the affordable housing sector.

The properties will be refurbished by local housing associations and made available to local housing associations for rent, while a proportion will be sold by Moray Council at a fixed price.

The pounds 5.6million deal will help ease the shortage of affordable housing in Moray, and comes hot on the heels of a recent land acquisition by the council which will see 100 new houses built for the same purposes.

The deal is a result of months of the council working in partnership with the Moray Housing Partnership, Grampian Housing Association and the Defence Estates.

Funding for the houses comes from the Scottish Executive and Moray Council, bringing the investment secured by the authority for affordable housing in the area to pounds 11.2 million.

This is the highest level ever recorded for the area in any previous year.

Moray Council’s vice-chair of Community Services, Cllr George McIntyre, welcomed the decision to secure the properties.

"There has been a lot of work done behind the scenes by Moray Council officers, housing associations, staff at Defence Estates and the Defence Housing Executive to secure these homes for Moray people," he said.

"I am delighted that the council has been able to facilitate this significant investment in both the affordable rented housing sector, and in properties for sale to those first-time buyers struggling to get a foothold on the property ladder."

The Elgin-based Moray Housing Partnership will own, refurbish and manage 40 houses in Shaw Place, Elgin, while the Grampian Housing Association will take over 28 properties in Cromarty Place, Lossiemouth.

The remaining nine properties, all located in Shackleton Place, Lossiemouth, are to be sold on at a fixed price to first-time buyers.

These houses will be available to buy for between pounds 62,286 and pounds 72,426 for two and three bedroom properties.

There will be a strict criteria applied to those eligible to buy the properties. The remaining 68 houses will be rented out at affordable rents by the two housing associations.

The council’s chief housing officer, Jill Stewart, said: "This is another example of effective partnership working in Moray to tackle the shortage of affordable housing.

"It is a very significant investment".

Part of the council’s financial contribution to this project will be met by money from owners of second homes in the area. The authority reduced the 25 per cent Council Tax discount for holiday home owners and used this cash to help fund the purchase.

The houses are located in Shaw Place, Elgin; Shackleton Place and Cromarty Place, Lossiemouth.

Director of Moray Housing Partnership, Clare Bradley, said that refurbishment work to the 40 houses at Shaw Place will start next month.

"This will include the fitting of new heating systems and kitchens," she said.

"We hope to have them ready for letting later in the year.

"We are delighted with the purchase of these properties, enabling MHP to provide good quality affordable homes for people in Moray."

Alan Moat, Chief Executive of Grampian Housing Association, said:

"We are delighted to be working with our partners in Moray to contribute to the provision of much needed affordable accommodation in the area.

"These additional houses will build on the Association's existing presence at Hythehill in Lossiemouth."