The lack of alternatives mean that households have effectively two choices: to rent property from Colonsay Estate- which may be in poor condition and for a high rent; or to build a new house if they are able to afford a mortgage for the high cost of building on the island.

· Housing Need
A total of 18 households were identified by the Housing Needs Survey as being in housing need. The majority of housing need on the island relates to the condition of the properties which households occupy. Although there are also households in insecure accommodation, elderly households in poorly located and adapted property, a household living in a caravan and households who are overcrowded.

To resolve the variety of housing needs on the island requires a number of different solutions:
· housing conditions in Estate Properties need to be improved
· the security of tenure of island households also needs to be addressed to provide households with strong footholds on the island
· greater housing choice is needed to break down dependence on the Estate for housing
· more social housing for rent will extend the stock available and increase alternative housing choices to the Estate
· more housing suitable for elderly and disabled people is required
· a more flexible assessment of Rural Home Ownership Grant guidance is required to help households to purchase their current homes, houses for sale and to help facilitate greater benefits from self-building
· shared ownership or the coming flexi-tenure may help make owner occupation available to those on limited or insecure incomes
· a form of temporary housing is required to help incoming households to come to live on the island without the commitment to buying/building a house