We will continue to deliver on the key themes of the Local Housing Strategy, aiming to increase future affordable housing supply across all tenures by making maximum use of funding streams and working with partner agencies to design and deliver energy efficient, modern homes. We will also meet the needs of people who are facing homelessness and those who need support to maintain their tenancies.
The framework for the council’s new Local Housing Strategy 2022-27 was agreed in March 2022 and the full strategy developed over several months before being approved at a meeting of the council’s Development Committee in September 2022 and then submitted to Scottish Government for assessment.
Along with setting the strategic direction for delivering high quality housing, the strategy also sets out the important contribution that housing makes to improving health and wellbeing, creating connected and sustainable places, tackling climate change, supporting economic growth and reducing poverty across Shetland.
Also included is the requirement to set the framework to prevent homelessness wherever possible and resolve homelessness quickly and effectively when it does occur.
The main barriers to achieving the vision and priorities set out in the strategy include funding to deliver the long-term strategy and the resources and capacity needed to do the work. An event was held in October 2022 to reflect on the skills for the construction sector with more work required to engage with the construction industry on their capacity.
