£6 million pledge for affordable housing in Orkney

More than £6 million is to be spent in Orkney on increasing the supply of affordable housing, creating jobs and boosting the local economy, it was confirmed today.

All Scotland’s 32 councils, including Orkney, will receive a share of almost £582 million in subsidy over the next three years from part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP).

As well as funding much needed affordable homes, the AHSP will also encourage councils and housing associations to make them greener homes by providing a larger Government subsidy for houses built to meet higher standards in areas like energy efficiency.

And rural areas, which experience higher developments costs, will also be helped with higher Government contributions to ensure that housing developments can be successfully delivered in remote parts of the country.