Housing
A lack of affordable housing has frequently been identified as a contributing factor in young people being unable to settle in the South West Mull and Iona area. The school roll at both local primary schools - at Bunessan and on Iona – is expected to drop over the next few years and there is a net loss of working age people. There is also a relatively high percentage of “young and stuck” – over 26 year olds who are employed but have no option but to remain living in the parental home.
In partnership with Rural Housing Scotland (RHS) SWMID carried out a Housing Needs Survey in 2017. This was followed by the commissioning of RHS, with funding from the Islands Housing Fund, to carry out a feasibility study into the possibility of an affordable housing project in Bunessan.
Grants from The Waterfall Fund and the Scottish Land Fund have enabled RHS to further develop this feasibility work into fully costed design and construction proposals that we can put out to tender. This will enable us to apply for funding with the hope of beginning construction in 2023!
