Housing and Loan

Housing and Loan Fund

The aim of the fund is to support retired Church of Scotland ministers, widows, widowers and separated or divorced spouses of Church of Scotland ministers in need of help with housing. Mr. Grahame Lees, chairman of the fund presented the accounts of the fund to the General Assembly and stated that in the past year all people who applied for the fund and fitted the need criteria for financial assistance were provided with either a loan for the purchase of a house or with the possibility of letting a house already owned by the Church. Mr. Lees mentioned the persistent evidence for provision of assistance and noted that currently there is a firm commitment of the fund to provide assistance to 39 applications for rent and 26 for loans. These financial commitments amount to £9 million pounds although the Fund only has £2.5 million in reserves. There are currently 16 houses in the market for sale and it is expected that with the improvement of the housing market, the Fund might be able to face the future more confidently. The chairman thanked congregations who have contributed annually to the Fund as well as with bequeaths and gifts. The chairman ended his address by remaining ministers in the General Assembly that if they are within five years of retirement and they feel they may need assistance with housing to contact the Fund as soon as possible, and to consider the houses that are currently on sale by the Kirk.