MICT is looking for a Housing Officer who can capitalise on various opportunities to deliver new affordable housing across Mull and Iona, including properties for sale, further long-term rental homes and worker accommodation to support local businesses, along with tenant relationship management for our current portfolio of rental properties. The Housing Officer will support the delivery of such housing locally, with a focus on managing new housing projects. This is an excellent opportunity to develop skills and experience in affordable housing delivery with a long established and supportive community-led organisation.

The Housing Officer’s role is to support the delivery of the MICT Housing Strategy. The post holder will take responsibility for managing the delivery of affordable housing units, from community engagement events and securing funding packages, to overseeing construction and allocating properties. The post holder will also work alongside the Facilities Manager to ensure the quality of our existing rental properties is high and that our tenants are looked after effectively. Full training and ongoing support will be given by MICT staff and directors and external consultant where needed.

MICT acquired Ardura Community Forest in 2019 on behalf of the Mull community with the specific intention of restoring the forest to a more natural condition while encouraging recreational use of the site.

MICT commissioned TreeStory Limited to produce a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for Ardura. The BAP is based on detailed survey work and an extensive assessment of all the habitats present within the forest to give an understanding of the current condition. The BAP identifies actions to restore and conserve the various habitats and makes provision for monitoring progress against measurable targets for improvement. Work alongside TreeStory Ltd allowed us to achieve the first Forestry Stewardship Council Ecosystem Services impact verification in the UK for Ardura Forest. With approx. 110 hectares of Sitka Spruce harvested from the forest, the focus is now restoration.

From the Biodiversity Action Plan, a Vision for Ardura Community Forest’s Future:

Ardura Community Forest will become an example of community-led conservation and restoration of native Atlantic woodland and wider ecosystems, to a healthy and functioning condition, for the benefit of biodiversity and people. Under MICT’s stewardship the land will contribute to positive ecological processes across the local landscape and will be appreciated and used by those who live and work nearby on the Isle of Mull and visitors from across Scotland, the UK and beyond.