The updated Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) looks ahead for the next five years, setting out Shetland’s priorities for affordable housing development.

The plan is a key delivery mechanism within the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and outlines how the Council and its key partners propose to deliver high quality housing which meets the needs of communities across Shetland, sets out the main priorities for affordable housing and identifies the resources required.

A primary focus for the new SHIP has been continued engagement with Health and Social Care partners to ensure adequate specialist provision is included in any new build programme.

Councillor Dennis Leask, chair of the Development Committee, said: “The SHIP sets out an ambitious but realistic programme for the delivery of new affordable housing across Shetland for the next five years, and given Shetland’s extreme need I hope that we can add to this programme, which currently identifies proposals for 232 new homes.

“Long-term investment in affordable housing is an essential ingredient in our overall aspiration to create prosperous local communities where high quality, energy efficient homes are available to everyone. At the same time, we recognise the challenges that the housing sector is facing and the fact that the demand for social housing is likely to increase in the years ahead.

“The plan outlines our commitment to working with all our strategic partners to ensure that we deliver homes which meet the needs of our communities and helps to make Shetland a great place to live, work, study and invest. I’d encourage folk to go online and take a look at the detail.”