Rural Home Ownership Grants
Rural Home Ownership Grants (RHOGs) help people living in rural areas of Scotland to become first time homeowners - usually by building a house, but also by buying a suitable property.
Grants are primarily for local people on low or modest incomes and are targeted at areas where it is difficult for people to own their own home. The RHOG is meant to fill the gap between the maximum level of mortgage the applicant can raise and the cost of a modest starter home. They are provided by Communities Scotland throughout rural Scotland.
Eligibility and application You might be eligible for a RHOG if:
- You could not afford to become a homeowner without a RHOG
- You work in the Argyll and Bute area
- You are a pensioner, sick or disabled with a family or local connection and have lived in the area for at least a year
Grants are
not available:
- If you are eligible for the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Departments’ Crofters Building Grant and Loan Scheme
- If you already benefit from another form of grant from Communities Scotland or similar local authority
- If you intend buying a house built by a developer who has already received a grant from Communities Scotland towards the cost of providing that house.
It is worth noting that:
- There are restrictions on the size of the house which you can purchase with a RHOG
- If the house is sold within 10 years you must pay back the grant
For more information contact
Communities Scotland (Paisley) which runs the RHOG programme in Argyll and Bute.