Communities Housing Trust begins ‘managed withdrawal from all activities’
An affordable housing provider in Scotland said it is facing “the very real prospect of closure” due to financial challenges.
Communities Housing Trust (CHT), which manages around 500 homes across the Highlands, islands and rural Scotland, yesterday (Monday) announced its decision to “wind down activities”.
The landlord said the decision followed a strategic review of performance in 2024, which indicated it “can no longer sustain operations in a challenging operating environment”.
Blair Allan, chair of CHT, said: “The trustees deeply regret having to make the decision to wind down the activities of Community Housing Trust. For a number of years, the trust has been using its reserves to support the delivery of community led housing whilst striving to identify what has proved to be an elusive sustainable business model in a challenging operating environment.
“The trustees have had no choice but to take a decision to begin a managed withdrawal from all activities and to work to minimise the impact on all stakeholders, including staff, tenants and communities which will hopefully protect the legacy of the trust.”
Allan also acknowledged the financial support provided by the Scottish government, Nationwide Foundation, The Highland Council and Argyll and Bute, Moray and Perth and Kinross councils.
She added that the establishment of More Homes Scotland, the government’s Homes England-style development body, “should now provide an opportunity to provide a long-term commitment and design a system of support for the effective delivery of community led housing across Scotland”.
CHT did not respond to a query about what would happen to its assets if the organisation closed completely.
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