Thread by @RuralEmma

Highland Council are offering to buy homes, at market value, to ensure they are not used as holiday or second homes. This will 🤞 help to ensure more affordable housing is available. If you are thinking of selling in the #Highlands please consider. #afforablehomes #innovation

https://twitter.com/ScotHousingNews/status/1549329849717751808

To respond to a few common questions and challenges here:
1. I agree - this won’t solve the housing problem in one move, but it is a positive and proactive step that local authorities can take now, without needing further powers. See #buildingourfuturehighland

2. You may not make as much money for your house as if you sold it on the open market – but you won’t have to pay estate agent fees or home report fees, which will help with meeting the same financial return as selling on open market. Not all property sells for over valuation

3.@HighlandCouncil have confirmed this will be in addition to creating new affordable housing. You can also ask them to rent out your property for you: highland.gov.uk/info/997/housi…

Or get help with bringing an empty property back into use - in the Highland area it is [e-mail] but lots of local authorities have this scheme

4.All councils can use short-term let control powers but have to get @scottishgov approval - @HighlandCouncil doing so in #Badenoch & #Strathspey: highland.gov.uk/news/article/1…

5. Yes, there are many challenges with housing in rural areas: building costs, land costs and availability, planning issues etc - @ScottishLandCom reports and conclusions available which include the need for local authorities to take a leadership role. landcommission.gov.scot/our-work/housi…

@ScottishLandCom Finally, think about responding to the #LandReformBill if this is of importance and interest to you! gov.scot/news/ambitious….