The four affordable houses. Photo: courtesy of Helmsdale Affordable Housing Project
Scottish affordable housing project wins award
Helmsdale Affordable Housing project wins SURF award
An affordable housing project in Scotland that received support from the Quaker Housing Trust (QHT) has won a major community regeneration award.
SURF, the independent regeneration network for Scotland, made the award to the Helmsdale Affordable Housing Project for ‘best practice in community regeneration’.
The network described the project as the successful creation of new homes ‘in an economically fragile remote Highland village to help address depopulation and decline’.
The project received QHT Capital Costs funding of £25,000 as a grant and loan – a £5,000 grant and an interest-free £20,000 loan.
The funding package helped Helmsdale build four homes that are fully owned by the community and will generate a small rental income for reinvestment in other community initiatives.
‘We are really pleased to see that our support has not only resulted in affordable housing for local people for the first time in over thirty-five years, but that it also highlights the good practice and innovation that QHT is committed to enabling,’ QHT secretary Paula Harvey said.
