Communities Housing Trust

FinancePolicy & Info
The Communities Housing Trust (CHT) is a registered charity and social enterprise focused on building sustainable rural communities across central and northern Scotland. With a reputation throughout Scotland for providing essential affordable housing and accompanying amenities, we work at the forefront of the sector to support community led development, addressing inequalities and the repopulation of under-served areas. Since 1998 we have worked on more than 120 community-led projects, often in remote, rural areas, to provide over 1000 crucial affordable homes and other amenities. 
 

Self-Build Loan Fund

The Scottish Government has provided a time limited fund to assist self or custom builders finance the construction period for their new home. Due to the pandemic, the deadline has been extended to August 2022 with an additional £2 million being made available. Read more

Community-Led Housing

Community-led housing is about local people playing a leading and fundamental role in solving their housing problems. It encompasses community groups, development trusts and cooperatives, and covers new build, self-build and the use of existing buildings. Read more

Locations

Scotland wide

Business Stages

All

Sectors

Community assetsConstruction and maintenanceHousingProperty or asset Development/Management

Activities

Funding

Connections

CollaborationsNetworking

Testimonials

" Housing has been so difficult for us and all of our friends - Airbnb's really taken off up here, which we understand, but everything's been bought up for second homes.

We used to find hotel work with accommodation, but we'd lose our jobs when the season came to an end and with it our accommodation. We were homeless and on a campsite before finding a caravan for a year, but the pipes would freeze and it was a horrendous winter.

Friends then took us in, until Communities Housing Trust supported us with their rent-to-buy scheme. It's been an absolute game-changer. "

Sarah & Paul, Balmacara

" Moving to this area as a key worker was a challenge with few affordable long term lets available - people had left my headteacher post previously due to lack of housing, and for a while I lived in a converted container. I applied to CHT out of desperation but they were very encouraging and I was thrilled to be offered a 3-bedroom home locally. "

Helen Love, Aultbea

" Without this project we wouldn't have had a house in the area. I grew up a couple of miles away on Rothiemurchus but there was just no chance of us being able to move back. When you see the house prices just now on the open market, it's just not achievable for people who actually live and work in the here, particularly since it's become a National Park.

Communities Housing Trust helped us by combining a discounted self-build plot with the Rural Housing Burden, a model we really believe can help other people too. The property also has low running costs, which massively impacts affordability. "

Iain Cornfoot & Justine Stewart, Aviemore