New fund will help bring empty homes back into use

A new £4m fund will help bring abandoned homes and empty high street spaces back to life, according to Housing Minister Margaret Burgess.

The Scottish Government’s Town Centre Empty Homes Fund will revamp empty homes and convert derelict commercial spaces into new affordable homes.

Registered social landlords and developers can apply for funding, which will be administered by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.

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Burgess said: “Town centres are a key element of the economic, social and environmental fabric of Scotland’s towns.

“We want town centres to thrive sustainably and meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors.

“Good quality, affordable housing is at the heart of this vision and transforming empty, disused spaces into comfortable homes makes sense.

“There are an estimated 27,000 long-term private empty homes in Scotland and it makes sense to make the best use possible of these properties when homelessness still exists.”

The partnership, which is run by the housing charity Shelter Scotland, works with councils to help bring empty private-sector homes back into use.

Since 2010, it has brought over 900 homes back into use and encouraged 17 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to appoint dedicated empty homes officers.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said bringing empty properties back into use with the help of this fund would be “welcome news”, not only to the 150,500 families and individuals on local authority waiting lists, but also those in the private rented sector looking for affordable homes.

“Making use of existing housing stock can make a real difference to people and communities. Because of their location, town centre empty homes are already well linked to employment opportunities and support services, making them places that people want to live,” he added.

A free helpline is available for members of the public to report empty homes in their communities.

Brown added: “We encourage people to call the helpline if they know of a long-term empty home in their area, or if they're in fact the owner of an empty property.

"The helpline is manned by expert staff who will discuss all the options available to help transform empty houses back into homes again."