Council to vote on lowering council house rent rise from 8% to 6%, impacting insulation funding. Meeting in Inverness.
This cut might impact home insulation, meaning insulation upgrades could get less funding. It affects many homes needing improvements that save people money and lower heating and electric bills.
Fifteen council members want a smaller rent increase, having proposed lowering it to six percent. Some say this sounds good, as it lowers housing costs for renters.
The housing committee initially rejected this idea. Six members voted for the smaller increase, while nine wanted the original eight percent increase, and two members abstained.
Now, they can vote again this Thursday. The full council will hold a special meeting to reconsider the six percent option, representing a second chance for a smaller rent rise.
The change would cut energy efficiency funding, removing £1.346 million in planned investment specifically for better insulation.
The current plan is an eight percent rent increase, which raises the average rent by £7.17 per week. The increase varies by property size, with bedsits and smaller houses paying less than average.
Three-bedroom houses would cost slightly more, while four-bedroom properties already pay more; the increase makes them even more expensive.
Alex Graham and Michael Gregson proposed the change. It removes money for energy efficiency to reduce the rent increase to around six percent.
The lower rent increase has a downside: some homes may not get insulation. Around 130 council houses are affected and could miss out on energy savings.
The council consulted people about rent increases. They explored increases of eight, nine, and ten percent, each option affecting how much money they’d raise.
The eight percent option raised £1.346 million for housing. If they cut that cash, insulation faces cuts, and fewer homes would receive these upgrades.
The council will decide at the meeting this Thursday in Inverness, starting at 2 PM. They will choose between six and eight percent, with fifteen councillors supporting this rent cut.