Highland residents to benefit from pioneering homes thanks to £3m City Region Deal windfall

Around £3 million of funding has been agreed for a ground-breaking Highland project that could transform the lives of people with complex health needs as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal.The business case for the ‘FitHome’ assisted living project was approved in November last year with £3m funding from the Scottish Government. The project, led by Albyn Housing Society in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland, aims to establish a new concept for health and care delivery at home by utilising data-capture and Internet of Things capabilities to predict and prevent episodes leading to ill health. This in turn will enable people to live independently at home for as long as they want, while potentially allowing for early hospital discharge.The FitHome concept, which will be piloted initially with the construction of 12 homes at Dalmore, Ross-shire, won the Saltire Award for innovation in housing last year and recently hosted a showcase event at the Scottish Parliament.The Inverness and Highland City Region Deal funding will support the purchase and development of 32 additional homes across several Highland locations. It is anticipated that the first City-Region Deal project will be in Nairn. One of the clusters will be built in Inverness City to suit the needs of veterans.