Mull pharmacist saved from homelessness by MICT programme

MICT was appointed as a designated Rural Housing Body back in 2014 by Scottish Ministers, 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.

Home owners can have a burden attached to their properties which forces them to ensure the use of the home as a permanent residence perpetually. 

The preemptive right of purchase remains attached to the title of a property, which will ensure that the property will never become a second home or short-term holiday let.

Such properties have become much more common in the Hebrides in recent years, and are a big contributor to the Argyll and Bute housing emergency. 

The burden came in particularly handy for Mull’s only pharmacist, Julie Walker, who could have become a victim of the housing crisis if not for the burden, as she was unable to find any affordable property available. 

Julie had sold her business and moved away from Mull, however, when the sale fell through she needed to return to the island to continue the business and found herself suddenly homeless.

Dr Jennifer Jack approached MICT following the passing of her mother, which left her with a surplus property. Well aware of the housing crisis on Mull, she was keen to help rectify it. 

She committed to selling the property with a burden attached, to a local keyworker, and in addition offered a discount of 30 per cent below market value to ensure its affordability.

The opportunity to purchase a home affordably has enabled Julie to stay, thereby securing the future of Tobermory Pharmacy.

Julie said, “I am so happy to have a secure home of my own, I feel a weight has been lifted as housing is so hard to come by here on Mull”.

Helen MacDonald, housing development manager at MICT, is in charge of promoting the burdens. She said: "MICT does not need to own a property to apply a burden, they can be applied during conveyancing, or stipulated in someone’s Will. While MICT has had the legal powers to apply burdens for a decade 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”.

Sandy Brunton, convenor 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 Helen if they think they can help in some way, now or in the future”.