Highland Council to Consider £1m Fund for Empty Homes
Highland councillors are set to review plans for a £1 million fund aimed at bringing long-term vacant homes back into use at a meeting scheduled for next week.
The Highland region currently has the highest number of long-term empty properties among all local authority areas in Scotland.
The proposed fund would offer grants of up to £30,000 to qualifying property owners to assist with repairs, upgrades, and conversions necessary to make these homes habitable again.
Applications for the fund could open before the end of the month, according to a report presented to the full council.
There are 2,466 long-term empty properties in Highland, as detailed in the council report.
Council officials emphasized that the scheme is intended for owners who have genuinely encountered financial barriers preventing them from restoring their properties without external support.
A key condition of the grant is that the properties must be rented out at a mid-market affordable rent for a minimum of five years following the completion of works.
Alternatively, owners may choose to occupy the property as their primary residence for the same five-year period.
If these conditions are not met, the grant would be subject to repayment.
This initiative forms part of broader Highland Council efforts to tackle the region's housing shortage.
