Homes built for workers on one of Scotland’s most congested island housing spots have been filled within 24 hours of offers being sent out.
The Arran Development Trust (ADT) said that it was “delighted” to complete the process of finding tenants for 18 affordable homes built at the village of Lamlash on the island’s east coast.
Community organisation ADT launched the project in response to the island’s acute housing shortage, with many local people and vital workers priced out of purchasing a property.
A huge proportion of the houses on the Inner Hebridean island in the Firth of Clyde, which has a population of around 5,000, have been bought as second homes by incomers and retirees, pushing up prices and creating a population crisis as young workers move away.
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More than 70 applications were made for the houses – named ‘General Needs Workers Homes’ - which have rents capped at Local Authority Housing Allowance Level, ensuring they are affordable for all.
The Trust said that the speed the homes were filled, and the number of applications, demonstrated the need for more affordable houses on the island.
Those who have been approved for housing said the island was “depending” on more being built.
One prospective tenant commented: “This is the best news we’ve had in several years, thank you ADT please keep up the good work, everyone on Arran is depending on you building more.”
Another added: “This is incredible news, and the first time I have ever been this lucky and able to look forward to a warm, dry affordable home at half the rent I currently pay … I can both breathe and live again”
A third said: “As a family facing the wonderful thought of a brand new home, we are so very excited and now counting the sleeps until moving day, we can hardly contain ourselves”
It is now expected that the new homes, which consist of two one-bedroom houses, ten two-bedroom homes and six three-bedroom properties, will be released for tenancy in phases.
The long-running project to build the accommodation began in 2015, with a view to starting building work in 2020, only for the plan to grind to a halt due to Covid.
However, building work at Lamlash was able to begin last year, and has now been completed.
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- Plan to build affordable homes for locals on Arran gets underway
- Wait for affordable Arran homes almost over with £3.6m windfall to build houses
A spokesperson for ADT said: “The Arran Development Trust is delighted to announce the Application & Allocations process for the 18 new affordable rental homes at Benlister Road/Rowarden Place, Lamlash, Arran is now complete.
“All offers of a new home were sent out to potential tenants last week and were accepted within 24 hours. The ADT received a total of 72 applications for the 18 General Needs Worker Homes.
“This extremely high number of applications received together with the speed at which the offers were accepted by successful applicants, confirmed to the ADT that many more new affordable rental homes are required on Arran and as soon as possible.”
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