Government support for affordable homes near Findhorn
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THE SCOTTISH Government has committed to the construction of affordable housing at the Findhorn Foundation.
A Rural Housing Fund grant of £130,000 grant has been made towards the build cost of £550,000 for six units at Findhorn Ecovillage.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart visited the site last week.
He said: “We recognise the challenges of developing affordable housing in rural areas, so I’m delighted that the government was able to provide funding for this project.
“The provision of these new build homes for affordable rent will make a positive impact on this community in Moray.
“The Rural Housing Fund is open to a range of applicants and I would encourage other community organisations or landowners to come forward with projects which can deliver affordable housing in their communities.”
An ecological footprint study was undertaken in 2007 and the community’s carbon footprint was at that time the lowest ever measured in the industrialised world.
The Ecovillage project based at The Park near Findhorn includes over 100 ecologically designed houses and around 30 other buildings, many of which are for community functions.
House prices on the Findhorn peninsula are very high relative to local salaries and the community has developed a number of mechanisms to create affordable housing. Projects include the Station House Cooperative in Findhorn and affordable homes (rented flats and shared ownership houses) in East Whins, The Park.
Six more flats for rent are currently under construction by The Park Ecovillage Trust in West Whins.
The Findhorn community is allowed to operate it’s own allocation process for the properties, provided it adheres to the council’s affordable rent requirements and other policy restrictions.
A Foundation spokesperson said she hopes further affordable housing development will be created in future.
An ecological footprint study was undertaken in 2007 by an external body and the community’s carbon footprint was at that time the lowest ever measured in the industrialised world. This was possibly due to a number of factors with housing being one of them.
