Scottish Government
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Over 170 new NHT homes for Scotland

Partnership will create new homes for rent at below market rates

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced that over 170 new affordable homes will be delivered across Scotland as part of the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT).

Mrs Burgess will make the announcement during a visit to a planned residential and commercial development in Rosyth, where 62 new NHT homes are being built.

The Hilton development - which will create a new community in the town - will consist of hundreds of new homes, as well as a neighbourhood retail centre, hotel, offices, care home, nursery and restaurant.

In addition to the 62 new homes that will be delivered as part of this development, the new round of NHT deals will also see 79 new homes built in Aberdeen, and 32 in the Highlands.

Mrs Burgess said: “I am delighted to announce the latest round of deals under the National Housing Trust initiative, which will deliver over 170 brand new and affordable homes to rent in Rosyth, Aberdeen, Inverness and Ardersier.

“Developments such as the new Hilton community in Rosyth not only provide a boost for our construction sector and wider economy, but also offer people and families the chance to rent or buy a new home at affordable rates.

“I have met NHT tenants all over Scotland and have heard how delighted they were to be offered new, high quality homes which met their needs, and how quickly they settled in.

“NHT continues to go from strength to strength, and yesterdays announcement brings the total number of homes to be delivered through the initiative in communities across the country to over 1,700 – all for very little taxpayers’ money.

“Despite Westminster’s cuts to our capital budget the Scottish Government is doing everything possible to stimulate growth, maximise our investment in housing and deliver on our target of 30,000 new, affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament.”

Christa Reekie, commercial director at Scottish Futures Trust, which works with local authorities to deliver NHT homes, said: “Based on the outstanding success of the NHT initiative a further phase was launched to help meet demand.

“I am delighted that so far three contracts have been signed to build over 170 additional new homes across three council areas, providing local people with high quality housing at affordable rent levels.

“Importantly, the initiative also continues to help to safeguard jobs in the construction industry.”

Councillor Judy Hamilton, Fife Council’s Executive Spokesperson for Housing & Building Services, said: "I welcome the announcement of this partnership deal that will allow us to offer 62 new homes for rent in a development to be built at Admiralty Road in Rosyth.

“They will be a mix of one, two and three bed flats along with two, three and four bed terraces. It will be complete by Summer 2015.

"We have a target to deliver 2,700 new homes by 2017 and this is just one of Fife Council's approaches in a much wider programme of building affordable housing for the area."

Keith Punler, Director of Kapital Residential Ltd, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Fife Council, the Scottish Futures Trust and the Scottish Government in this NHT initiative at Rosyth.

“Hilton Garden City is all about delivering local homes for local families and the innovative way in which NHT works has made this a deliverable proposition in an otherwise difficult market.”

Aberdeen City Council Housing and Environment Convener Councillor Neil Cooney said:

“The National Housing Trust is a fantastic initiative which Aberdeen City Council was eager to be involved in from the start.

“The provision of affordable housing is a key component of the Council's Strategic Infrastructure Plan, which aims to achieve a step change in the supply of housing by 2017. The National Housing Trust has played a significant role in this.”

Councillor Dave Fallows, Chair of the Resources Committee at The Highland Council, said:

“The Highland Council is delighted to provide the necessary finance to deliver another 32 NHT homes in the Highlands.

“The NHT programme is proving hugely successful in meeting housing demand in areas where there is a shortage of affordable housing.”

Notes To Editors

The original NHT model allows developers and councils to jointly fund the purchase of new homes, with local authority loans to the initiative being underwritten by the Scottish Government.

Under the original NHT model, homes are available for rent at below market rates for five to 10 years before being sold, with tenants given priority to buy at the end of the rental period.

Over 1700 NHT homes are being delivered in communities across Scotland, with even more in the pipeline.

The table below outlines the homes to be developed through this latest round of procurement:

 

Local authority

Developer

Site(s)

Units offered

Aberdeen City Council

The Stewart Milne Group

a) Froghall Road

b) Countesswells

c) East Huxterstone

d) Cornhill

a) 19

b) 30

c) 20

d) 10

Fife Council

Kapital Residential Ltd

Hilton, Admiralty Road, Rosyth

62

The Highland Council

Highland Housing Alliance

a) Balvonie

b) Ardesier

c) Academy Street

a) 6

b) 9

c) 17

More information about the NHT initiative is available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/nht.

Channel website: http://www.gov.scot/

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