Housing summit brings partners together
Delegates from across Inverclyde’s housing sector have held a summit where partners pledged to work together to unlock the challenges facing Inverclyde.
From stimulating new build private or social houses to looking at how to improve the condition and sustainability of Inverclyde’s housing stock, partners agreed to work collaboratively to deliver better housing choices for Inverclyde.
The event was held at The Beacon in Greenock and was attended by Inverclyde councillors, the local MP, representatives from the local MSP, registered social landlords, private housebuilders, representatives from the Scottish Government and senior council officials.
Inverclyde faces a complex housing challenges with high levels of empty homes, issues with the condition of some of its housing stock, areas of low housing demand and lack of new build development. These challenges work against the council’s ambition to reverse depopulation and a declining working age population.
The vision and priorities of the 2023-28 Local Housing Strategy acknowledge housing’s role in tackling these challenges, placing housing at the centre of meeting a range of strategic ambitions on economic growth, health, wellbeing, poverty, climate change and place.
Partners at the housing summit pledged their support to deliver the agreed actions necessary to improve housing system operation by working collaboratively and innovatively to maximise resources and funding available to Inverclyde. These actions include supporting housing-led regeneration options, and enabling land for development of new, quality, sustainable houses.
Councillor Michael McCormick, convener of environment and regeneration, said the summit was an important step forward.
He said: “This Housing Summit was an important event for Inverclyde which brought partners together to work collaboratively to unlock our housing challenges. Everyone there recognised the role good quality housing stock can play in the overall regeneration of Inverclyde.
“Inverclyde is experiencing low levels of private and social housebuilding and housing stock that doesn’t fully meet our current needs. Improving the range and quality of housing helps to bring more people to Inverclyde to live and work.
“We all know the challenges facing us but by bringing the right people together and focusing on the right action, we can continue to move ahead and make progress.”