It has now been over six months since the Scottish Parliament declared a housing emergency. Here in the Highlands, the council declared a ‘housing challenge’ and it is a priority for Albyn Housing Society, and other social and private developers in the area, to deliver much needed homes for local people. There is too much at stake if we do not.

We are in the grip of a nationwide housing crisis, yet recent figures reveal that the timescale for average planning application is four times longer than the Government target. While this is clearly an issue for developers, why should this be an issue for those beyond the industry?

Housing, for most of us, is one of the very few constants in our lives. Our home plays host to some of the happiest moments in our lives, provides us with fundamental security and is the key to improving life opportunities. It is somewhere we should be able to feel safe, warm and part of a community.