Ownership

Local Authority and Housing Association Houses

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Community Based Housing Associations are responsible for a housing stock of some 4,022 ‘houses’ in the Western Isles, this includes flats and sheltered houses as well as family dwellings. The majority of these (95%) are owned by the Comhairle.

SOCIALLY RENTED SECTOR – 2001 by ISLAND AREAS
Local Authority and Housing Association Houses
Lewis and Harris	3,054	75.9
Benbecula and The Uists	793	19.7
Barra and Vatersay	175	4.4
Total	4,022	100.0

Source: 2001 Census on SCROL

The provision of Council Houses is closely related to the distribution of population throughout the islands and the demand this generates which is greatest in the built-up areas of Stornoway and Castlebay.

In the last decade, the Comhairle has been obliged by law to allow tenants to purchase local authority houses. The take up of ‘Right To Buy’ by the Comhairle’s tenants has been steady over this time, increasing in the last two years, with 135 houses (over 7% of the Comhairle’s remaining stock) being sold. During the same time there were 26 houses added to the social rented sector by the islands’ Housing Associations.

Council housing, throughout the Islands, has been of major benefit to the community, helping to meet the needs of people who would not be eligible for a croft house or able to purchase their own home. The building work and subsequent maintenance and improvement work results in a substantial local distribution of money.

The local authority Housing Department is responsible for: allocating houses to applicants; for the management of the properties to permit tenants use and enjoyment of their homes; for homeless people; for rent and arrears management and for housing policy and development strategy, and for liaison work with other housing agencies. Detailed information on all aspects of the Comhairle’s work in relation to housing can be found on the Housing Department pages. In particular, a profile of the current housing situation and future strategy for housing development is contained in the recently published Western Isles Local Housing Strategy 2004-2009.

Aside from Trust Housing Association (formerly known as Kirk Care) which provides 60 sheltered housing units there are 5 Community Based Housing Associations. Between them these own just over 200 properties. The future of these 5 organisations and the overall structure of the social rented sector may well change if the Comhairle’s Community Ownership proposals proceed.

 

Croft Houses

‘Croft Houses’ are houses that are owned by crofters on croft land tenanted from a landowner. (Houses on land taken out of crofting tenure are not ‘croft’ houses).

There are around 6,000 crofts in the Western Isles, over a third of the Scottish total of 17,000. The shape and layout of townships generally reflects the layout and boundaries of crofts and common grazing. Thus crofting has shaped the housing circumstances and living arrangements of most islanders.

Many croft houses have been built or improved as a result of the Crofters Building Grants and Loan Scheme (CBGLS) administered by the Scottish Executive. The purpose of the Scheme is to provide for those who live on and cultivate those crofts and it has the affect of benefiting the community at least as much as the crofter, strengthening and supporting crofting communities and also preventing de-population of crofting areas.

The CBGLS has proved an effective means of supporting the construction of new houses and improvements to existing houses on crofting land. Latest data indicates that upwards of 40 new housing are supported through this funding stream each year.

Although both croft houses and private houses are owned by individuals, the main difference is the source of loan finance and the land tenure. Croft houses receive financial assistance as stated above, from the Scottish Office and are built on rented land. Banks or building societies most commonly finance private houses on purchased sites.

 

Private Homes

Private or owner-occupier houses exist throughout the crofting townships and in Stornoway. While the greatest numbers are found in the town itself, many houses have been built on land taken out of crofting tenure and have therefore become ‘private’ or ‘owner-occupied’ dwellings.

New private housing has been built on the periphery of Stornoway on land specifically zoned for such purpose, while in the older part of Stornoway and Tarbert and Castlebay, private houses are interspersed with properties used for other purposes. There are approximately 1,000 second/holiday homes in the Western Isles and the Comhairle has been investigating ways to encourage greater use of these houses through the Scottish Executive funded empty Homes Initiative.

House improvement and repair grants have been, and continue to be a cost-effective way of improving the private housing stock and also sustaining the local building industry.

 

New Build

Most new development on the Western Isles relies on grant support from either the Crofters Building Grant and Loan Scheme (CBGLS) or Communities Scotland Development Programme. Available data suggests that upwards of 75% of all new housing has received assistance from one of these sources in recent years. Private house building is dominated by individuals contracting with trades people or undertaking self-build. There is virtually no speculative house building across the Islands since development costs - which are significantly higher than on the mainland – generally exceed sales price.