Local communities are being invited to have their say on the future of social housing in the Highlands, as part of a wide-ranging review of the Housing Allocations Policy.
The Highland Council has announced a fresh round of stakeholder meetings later this year, where residents and councillors will work together to ensure the housing needs of each community are properly understood and addressed.
The move follows the latest annual performance review of the Highland Housing Register, which shows the current policy is largely working well and continues to help people in greatest need.
At a meeting of the Housing and Property Committee on Wednesday 13 August, councillors gave the green light for the review to go ahead.
Chair of the committee, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair, said the Council remains firmly committed to social and affordable housing as one of its top priorities.
She pointed to the Highland Housing Challenge and Partnership Action Plan, approved earlier this summer, as proof of the Council’s long-term focus on delivering homes people can afford in the places they want to live.
This sits alongside the Local Housing Strategy for 2023 to 2028 and the Strategic Housing Investment Programme for 2025 to 2030, which has already been endorsed by the Scottish Government.
A new Housing Need and Demand Assessment, commissioned in June, will bring an extra layer of detail to the picture by shining a light on the lived realities of people across the region.
Cllr Campbell Sinclair praised recent progress, noting that 16 individuals with support needs have moved into their first independent tenancies with backing from NHS Highland.
She also highlighted the importance of meeting responsibilities to care-experienced young people, 16 of whom have now been housed in line with the Council’s role as a Corporate Parent.
But the data also tells a story of growing pressure.
As of March 2025, there were 8,767 active applications on the Highland Housing Register, up from 8,618 the year before.
More than 70 percent of those applicants are not currently in social housing, with many living in private rentals or with family.
One in ten applicants is homeless.
This rise in demand underscores the urgent need for more homes of all types and tenures across the region.
The upcoming review will look closely at how housing is allocated and whether any changes are needed to make the system fairer, more efficient and better tailored to real local needs.
Communities are being encouraged to get involved in the process and ensure their voices are heard.
