The five-year strategy sets out the vision, policies and plans that will enable the council and its community partners to continue the delivery of high-quality housing and housing services for local people.

The new LHS for 2022-2027 includes:

• Delivering more homes – the annual target for delivery of new homes will be 210 per year, up from 150 per year under the previous LHS.
• Creating liveable and sustainable communities that are well designed, safe and connected.
• Providing access to suitable, affordable and energy-efficient housing options for everyone.
• Ensuring that homes meet people’s individual needs and are well connected to local services, jobs and communities.

Members of the Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee will consider the updated LHS at a meeting on Wednesday 15th March.

They will hear that the strategy will make an important contribution to improving health and wellbeing, reducing climate change, supporting economic growth and reducing poverty across Perth and Kinross.

The strategy is the result of close partnership working and consultation with local and national housing stakeholders, communities and partner organisations over the last two years.

Their views have helped influence the development of priorities and outcomes which will enable the council and partners to deliver high-quality housing which meets the needs of people in all housing tenures.

The LHS Vision for 2022-27, produced along with partners and stakeholders, is: “Everyone in Perth and Kinross has access to the right home, in the right place, at the right cost.”

To achieve this vision and realise the council’s wider ambitions, four main LHS priorities have been defined:

• Priority 1: Providing more affordable homes to support liveable and sustainable communities - proactively addressing the challenges associated with providing more affordable homes to support communities in Perth and Kinross.
• Priority 2: Providing a range of housing options that people can easily access, afford and keep - The LHS aims to reduce the impact of poverty on people’s ability to access suitable housing. It also sets out housing’s role in tackling child poverty.
• Priority 3: Delivering homes for people with varying needs - The LHS plays major role in improving public health in Perth and Kinross by setting the framework for delivering accessible homes and supported accommodation for people with particular needs.
• Priority 4: Delivering quality homes with affordable warmth, zero emissions and SMART technology.

The LHS will enable Perth and Kinross to meet the ambitious energy efficiency, climate change targets and housing quality targets set by the Scottish Government.

Committee convener, Councillor Tom McEwan, said: “The LHS is one of the most important strategies we produce as a Council. Housing plays a vital role in meeting the needs of local people, communities and the economy. Giving people the right housing for them, in the right place and at the right cost, vastly improves their life chances.

“It has taken two years of hard work to produce this updated Strategy alongside local Housing Associations, private landlords, construction partners and other stakeholders. It builds on the success of the LHS for 2016-21 which saw record numbers of new houses delivered here. The total number of homes delivered since 2016 is 2,761, exceeding our 5-year target of 2,750.

“The updated LHS will be the framework for how we deliver new housing, improve existing houses across the area, drive down fuel poverty, make sure people live in secure and warm housing, tackle homelessness and reduce the carbon footprint of our area.

“A detailed action plan which supports our new LHS priorities has been drawn up to ensure we can achieve our ambitions.

“As we continue our recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and deal with increasing cost of living pressures, the LHS will play an increasingly important role in supporting inclusive growth and tackling inequality across our communities.”