Local information about Aberdeenshire sheltered housing review published

Summaries of information about the operation of 17 sheltered housing schemes in Aberdeenshire have been published online. 

Over the past few weeks, Aberdeenshire Council has been holding tenant and public sessions in communities to discuss the financial and practical challenges around the future operation the schemes. 

The housing service has also been highlighting plans to invest £100million to modernise sheltered housing services over the next 30 years.

The investment will focus on physical improvements to schemes across the wider estate and enhanced digital services such as video-enabled doorbells and automated door entry systems, to allow tenants to respond to visitors from the comfort of their accommodation or if they are out and about. The service will also work with tenants to modernise the use of common spaces to meet the changing needs and desires of all who use them. 

The review of sheltered housing provision has been prompted by a combination of factors, including the costs associated with maintenance, repairs, and improvements to some buildings, and a fall in demand for spaces at some locations. 

The discussions are part of a wider, long-running review of the council’s Housing Revenue Account to ensure the long-term sustainability of services.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Head of Housing, Ally Macleod, said: “Our focus is to provide a modern, affordable service for our tenants over the coming decades and we cannot achieve that without changing our approach. 

“Some of our accommodation is unfortunately not best suited for modernisation, and in some areas we have seen demand for places fall over the past few years. 

“Our plans for £100million of investment in sheltered housing services over the next 30 years will allow us to steadily improve our offering, take advantage of new technology, and deliver a service shaped by the input of tenants across what will remain a large number of schemes.

“We do appreciate that this is an unsettling time for tenants whose schemes are under review. We are providing direct support to tenants, and any changes for individuals will be person-centred, with personalised assistance packages put in place.” 

Details of the challenges facing individual schemes, along with background information about the review, can be found at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/shelteredhousing/

Visitors to the site can submit questions about local schemes, and can answer survey questions about the future delivery of sheltered housing services.

All feedback received will feed into a report to be considered by Communities Committee in July.