Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2025 - 2030

We Asked

The Strategic Housing Investment Plan, or SHIP, outlines the potential affordable housing investment programme over the period 2025-2030 across Aberdeenshire. The main outcome of the SHIP is to enable the delivery of high quality, energy efficient affordable housing.

In summer 2024 people were asked to provide their views and feedback on Aberdeenshire Council’s SHIP 2025-2030. Survey participants were asked to rate the eight main aims of the SHIP 2025-2023 in order of importance, if there were any further broad aims they felt should be in the SHIP, and if they had any further comments regarding the SHIP 2025-2030.

You Said

There were 34 responses to the survey. The feedback has been collated.

The main aims of the SHIP which were deemed as the four most important by participants were:

• Provide social housing for rent
• Prevent and alleviate homelessness
• Provide appropriate housing and support for people with a physical or learning disability
• Provide appropriate housing and support for older people

Survey participants commented on:

Infrastructure and amenities

Participants highlighted the need for housing developments to be supported by adequate infrastructure and amenities such as green spaces, medical care, schools, public transport, and local shops.

Suitable homes for ageing population

Participants felt there is a growing demand for suitable smaller homes for the ageing population who may want to downsize, suggesting that a lack of availability forces them to remain in larger family homes.

Affordable housing

A common response referred to the need for more affordable housing for people, including families, homeless, couples, and key workers, with priority to the provision of social housing and mid-market rent over affordable home ownership.

Empty homes/empty commercial buildings

Some responses focus on utilising empty properties to address housing need. Suggestions include compulsory purchase of vacant residential and commercial buildings, repurpose existing empty council buildings, utilise empty properties to combat homelessness, and create housing on potential brown sites in town centres of which empty buildings currently sit on.

Mixed and sustainable communities

The survey responses highlight a desire for areas of mixed housing developments to promote mixed and sustainable communities. Some desire to ensure that there are no visual and location differences between affordable housing and neighbouring homes.

We Will

Consider all feedback which will help shape and inform future housing developments across Aberdeenshire. The draft SHIP 2025-2030 will be presented to the Communities Committee on the 7th November for consideration and approval.