SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, is due to welcome Housing Minister Paul MacLennan MSP to Stornoway on Monday (4th December). The Minister will be attending a Housing Roundtable with the islands’ MSP, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Deputy Chief Executive and Chair of Sustainable Development, representatives from Hebridean Housing Partnership, Tighean Innse Gall and also representation from local construction firms.
The meeting will focus on local progress on the Affordable Housing Programme, the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, and also construction industry insight into factors affecting affordable housing delivery at present.
Commenting in advance of the meeting, Alasdair Allan said:
“I am delighted to welcome the Housing Minister to Stornoway, following my meeting with him earlier this year. At that time, we discussed some of the particular challenges in meeting the affordable housing need across the Western Isles. I hope Monday’s discussion will be productive, with the group aiming to identify actionable solutions to specific local issues which
are arguably slowing the rate of progress. I hope the Western Isles are able to use to the full the very significant levels of Scottish Government funding on offer for affordable houses here.
“The lack of access to affordable housing unfortunately continues to be a key factor in our islands’ depopulation, particularly amongst young people and families. It is essential that we double down on efforts to make it easier for local working-aged people, in particular, to be able to continue living in the Western Isles, and making housing more affordable and more readily available all over our islands is fundamental to this.”
