Highland Council has pledged to build a minimum of 500 new homes each year for the next five years.
Of these 70% will be for affordable rent and 30% for low cost home ownership.
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Funding will come from a mix of City-Region Deal cash, prudential borrowing and grants from the Scottish Government as part of its pledge to build at least 50,000 affordable homes between 2018 and 2023.
Since the Council House Build programme began in 2008/09 in Highland more than 1,000 council houses and flats have been completed or are under development.
Councillor Allan Henderson, chairman of the council’s environment, development and housing committee said: “Housing is and will remain a top priority for the council. The target we have set is a very ambitious goal but I am confident that over the next five years we will succeed thanks to the effective and productive partnership approach we have developed with the Scottish Government, housing associations and the private sector.”
“We will continue to work to bringing forward sites we own for re-development and work with the private sector to unlock the constraints for other strategic sites throughout the Highlands, using or own Landbank Fund, the Scottish Government Infrastructure Loan Fund and any other opportunities that become available.”
Opposition councillor Ron MacWilliam said: “There is a huge moral and financial obligation on the Council administration to now deliver and play its part in the biggest council housing programme for a generation.
“This will involve making sure there are resources in the right places to support staff and communities, and to ensure positive working relationships with housing associations and other partner agencies.
“If these housing projects all go ahead as planned there will be huge long-term financial benefits to both the council and tenants, we will be better able to attract key workers in to the Highland economy, and it will go some way to addressing homelessness, overcrowding and fuel poverty.
“We will constructively scrutinise the Highland Council administration to ensure they provide the necessary support that council officers will need to meet these ambitious targets.
“With over 8000 people on the Highland Housing Register it is imperative that we secure the allocated share of this investment for the Highlands.”
