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More than 9,000 empty homes in Scotland brought back into use since 2010
More than 9,000 long-term empty homes in Scotland have been brought back into use since 2010, a report has found.
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP), a Scottish government-funded non-profit run by Shelter Scotland, said it helped to return 1,257 long-term empty homes to use in 2022-23 – the second-highest annual total since it was founded in 2010.
In its latest impact report, the partnership said it had helped to bring an average of 1,160 homes back into use each year since 2018.
SEHP provides training and support to empty homes officers employed by Scottish councils who target the restoration and reuse of privately owned empty homes.
The report also found that 16 of Scotland’s local authorities have introduced buy-back schemes to increase their social housing stock by purchasing former council homes and other empty properties.
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Until the 1980s, council homes formed the majority of housing in Scotland. Between 1980 and 2010, more than half of Scotland’s council homes were sold following the introduction of the Right to Buy scheme.
In January 2023, there were 42,865 long-term empty homes in Scotland, according to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. The Scottish government defines long-term empty homes as those that have been empty for six months or more.
SEHP said it was changing its focus to support local authorities to integrate empty homes work into a wider assessment of housing need and to promote the use of empty homes as a means to increase the supply of social and affordable housing.
The Scottish government has committed to increase housing supply by 110,000 homes by 2032, including 77,000 social homes. In April, it allocated up to £25m to help councils buy affordable homes for key workers in rural communities over the next five years. The government hopes the money will help councils make best use of empty or underused properties.
The same month, a consultation was launched that proposed allowing councils to charge up to double the full rate of council tax on second homes from April 2024.
Shaheena Din, national project manager at the SEHP, said “the buy-back of empty ex-council homes is a cost-effective and win-win approach”.
The rate of empty homes brought back into use continues to rise, she said.
Ms Din added: “At a time when local authorities are reporting that the rising cost of building new homes is leading to the slowing of construction rates, it is clear that empty homes are an important part of the solution for tackling Scotland’s housing challenges.
“We know that the repair and reuse of empty homes can be more cost-effective for home-owners, councils and community organisations.”
