The Highland Council Strategic Housing Investment Plan priorities
‘The Highland Council’s plan to accelerate Affordable Housing Programme with increased Investment and strategic planning that aligns with the priorities set out in the Highland Housing Challenge’.
At today’s meeting of the Housing and Property Committee (Wednesday 5 November 2025), Members welcomed an increase in Scottish Government funding for affordable housing. The allocation of £47.588 million for the Highlands represents an uplift from the previous year’s £35.780 million, enabling both the completion of committed projects and the launch of new developments.
Chair of the Housing & Property Committee, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair, said:
“The scale of housing need in Highland is rising. Our Strategic Housing Investment Plan sets out a clear and ambitious roadmap to deliver the homes our communities need, both now and in the future. The Council is committed to continuing to collaborate with partners and investors to unlock land, finance, and capacity to increase the availability of affordable housing across Highland.
“Despite the progress to date, the programme continues to face delivery challenges, including land availability, infrastructure constraints, developer timing, statutory approvals, and construction cost inflation, particularly in rural areas. The Council is actively working with partners, including the Scottish National Investment Bank, to explore alternative funding models and overcome these barriers.”
Forecasts for 2025/26 include:
- 545 affordable housing completions
- 570 new property starts
As part of the Highland Housing Challenge, the Council is implementing targeted actions to address constraints, including:
- Identifying new development sites through the Local Development Plan review.
- Supporting key worker housing with additional Scottish Government funding.
- Collaborating with SSEN and developers on legacy housing projects.
- Enhancing planning coordination through the Integrated Planning Delivery Service.
Looking ahead, the SHIP for 2026/27–2030/31 sets out a commitment to approve at least 700 new affordable homes annually, with 70% for affordable rent and 30% for intermediate housing such as low-cost home ownership and mid-market rent. The plan is aligned with the Council’s Local Housing Strategy, Operational Delivery Plan, and Our Future Highland Delivery Plan.
The Highland Council will continue to engage with local Members and communities to ensure investment plans reflect local priorities. The SHIP is updated annually and submitted to the Scottish Government, with a full review planned for the 2027–2031 period to incorporate new data, funding models, and strategic commitments.
Highland Housing Need & Demand Survey - Residents have a few more days to complete the survey, which will allow the Council to better understand the housing circumstances and needs of local households. The results will help the Council plan for new housing and housing services, making sure the needs of all residents and communities are met. You can complete the short survey online using the following link - The online survey is open until Friday 7 November 2025, and can be found here www.researchresource.co.uk/AJHighlandHNDA.html (external link)
For more information on the Strategic Housing Investment Plan, read the full report here (Item 9).