AN ISLAND pharmacist has been saved from homelessness through an innovative means of retaining property in the affordable housing market.
Julie Walker, Mull’s only pharmacist, sold her business and left the island but the sale fell through and she had to return to Mull to continue the business – but found herself homeless.
However, thanks to the generosity of local doctor Jennifer Jack, who had been left a surplus property after the death of her mother, the future of both the pharmacist and her Tobermory pharmacy has been secured.
The development came about through the use of the Rural Housing Burden by Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT).
MICT was appointed as a designated Rural Housing Body in 2014 by the Scottish Government, giving the charity legal powers to place burdens on titles of properties. The burden is a means of ensuring that the property must be lived in as a permanent home and that MICT has first refusal to buy it, should it be offered for sale in the future. The pre-emptive right of purchase remains with the title of a property in perpetuity, which will ensure that the property will never become a second home or short-term holiday let.
Dr Jack, who had approached MICT when she inherited her mother’s house, had read the publicity about Rural Housing Burdens and, well aware of the housing crisis on Mull, was very keen to help.
She committed to selling the property with a burden attached to a local keyworker and, in addition, offered a discount of 30% below market value to ensure its affordability.
It meant Walker could buy the house.
“I am so happy to have a secure home of my own,” she said. “I feel a weight has been lifted as housing is so hard to come by here on Mull.”
Sandy Brunton, convener of MICT, said: “We believe MICT is the first development trust to apply a burden on a property in this way, without owning it.
“This is one of a number of exciting and desperately needed options we are pursuing to help tackle the housing crisis on our islands. We are really keen to encourage property owners to get in touch with us if they think they can help in some way, now or in the future”.
Helen MacDonald, MICT housing development manager, has been working on promoting burdens for a number of years and explained that the organisation does not need to own a property to apply a burden, as they can be applied during conveyancing, or stipulated in someone’s will.
She added: “While MICT has had the legal powers for a decade to apply burdens, it is only recently we have been in a position to do so.
“We are very grateful to Ronnie MacRae and his team at Communities Housing Trust for all the advice and support they have provided along the way.
“We are delighted with the outcome of this situation, grateful to Jennifer for her generosity and hope Julie is very happy in her new home.”
