The council is building new homes and bringing more into use for local people to live in, delivering help through its Tenant Hardship Payment Scheme, and investing in Noth Lanarkshire homes by carrying out more energy efficiency work and installing new kitchens and bathrooms.

The Local Housing Strategy sets out the plans for the housing service in key areas, including; housing delivery, homelessness, property condition, energy efficiency, fuel poverty, health and wellbeing and older people’s and specialist housing.

Details of the significant inroads being made in providing high quality housing, supporting sustainable communities and delivering real improvements to people’s lives were outlined in the progress review at our recent Housing Committee.

Areas highlighted include:

• Investmest of over £17m in energy efficiency works,
• Building 389 new affordable homes in 2021/22 as part of the new build programme,
• Expansion of the Open Market Purchase Scheme to allow purchase of properties from private landlords where there is homelessness risk, with tenants remaining in the property,
• Homes previously earmarked for demolition brought back into use to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine,
• Almost £1m of funding through the Tenant Hardship Payment Scheme provided to low-income households at risk of fuel poverty,
• 91% of properties in Phase 1 of the re-provisioning programme now vacant, with 209 properties demolished during 2021/22,
• Investment of more than £27m to improve the quality of our homes, and
• Installation of the first electric vehicle charging points at the new housing development at Nobles View, Bellshill.

Housing convener, Councillor Heather Brannan-McVey, said: “Our Local Housing Strategy for North Lanarkshire is already delivering benefits and changing the face of towns and communities and I’m pleased with the significant progress we’ve made in the first year of our five-year plan.

“We’re continuing to build more new, affordable homes which are designed and built to meet the needs of our tenants now and in the future, including additional wheelchair properties. I was also delighted to see first-hand the investment and improvements made to Dundyvan Gardens Older Peoples housing providing a more homely and comfortable environment to residents.

“The quality and energy efficiency of our homes is another priority. Over 3,000 energy efficiency measures were carried out in the past year including new heating systems, solar panels, insultation and new windows helping to tackle fuel poverty and improve living standards for tenants. We’re also close to completing our first ‘Net Zero’ homes which feature low carbon technologies.

“The key actions in our Local Housing Strategy link to our overall vision to make ‘North Lanarkshire the place to live through the provision of high-quality housing and support in sustainable communities, that enables people to thrive and prosper’.”