Reflections from the National Manager
It’s been a busy few months since I joined the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership as National Manager, covering Lisa Borthwick’s maternity leave. I wanted to use this opportunity to introduce myself and reflect on the experience so far. I spent most of my early career doing homelessness advice and advocacy, mostly in London but I’ve…
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Working Together: Auction House Scotland & Highland Council’s Empty Homes Officer
At the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, we’ve worked with Scottish property auctioneers Auction House Scotland for over eight years. In total, through our collaboration, nearly 70 properties have been sold through Empty Homes Officer introductions. In particular, we wanted to give a well-deserved shout out to Highlands EHO Dawn Meston whose continual willingness to help…
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Empty Homes Renovation – We spoke to Nick about his renovation project in Dumfries
What is the story of your empty home project? The project is the renovation of a maisonette flat circa 1850 within the Dumfries Conservation Area, although the flat isn’t listed. The flat had been poorly maintained & upgraded and then left empty for over 10 years before we took it on. Several areas of penetrating damp…
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A Year of Challenge and Success: Empty Homes Work in Scotland in 2023
In 2023, the 9000th empty home in Scotland was brought back into use. This huge milestone is testament to the hard work of all the Empty Homes Officers (EHOs) and others across the country who have been working on empty homes since the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) was launched 13 years ago. In 2022/23…
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A day in the life of an empty homes data analyst
Hi all, I’m a data analyst for the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership at Shelter Scotland. My job is to help local authorities, and all others involved in empty homes work, adopt a strategic and data-driven approach to getting empty homes back into use. No two days are the same so it’s difficult to offer a…
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Meet Renfrewshire Council’s More Homes Officer Allana Mcluskey
This year the network of Empty Homes Officers (EHOs) that SEHP supports reported 1257 homes back into use. This reflects their hard work and determination in working with owners and investigating empty properties to see them transformed into homes again. Recently we sat down with Renfrewshire Council’s More Homes Officer Allana Mcluskey to find out…
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Meet West Dunbartonshire’s EHO Karen Rae
This year the network of Empty Homes Officers (EHOs) that SEHP supports reported 1257 homes back into use. This reflects their hard work and determination in working with owners and investigating empty properties to see them transformed into homes again. Recently we sat down with West Dunbartonshire Council’s EHO Karen Rae to find out more…
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Tax changes for second and empty homes
Scotland is facing a housing emergency. A chronic shortage of housing is leading to increasing numbers of people in temporary accommodation and longer housing waiting lists. Alongside ever increasing house prices and private sector rents, this means that more and more people are struggling to afford to rent or buy in the places they grew…
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Scottish Empty Homes Partnership – Our Year in Review
On the last day of 2022, the team at Scottish Empty Homes Partnership want to reflect on our achievements in the past year. Innovative Kickstarter projects launched to bring empty homes back to use Our project with Tighean Innse Gall will support revitalising rural communities across the Western Island chain, making them more attractive to…
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Unlocking empty homes – Tips for Investors
Have you seen a run down property and thought about this as a renovation project? Or are you an investor thinking about opportunities to develop homes that are unoccupied? While these are possibilities, it is hoped that this blog post will debunk some common myths, answer some of our most frequently asked questions and share…
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