Annual Impact Report 2024

MEETING OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES – 3

Promote evidence-based benefits of bringing empty homes back into use to encourage diverse involvement in empty homes work across Scotland

This objective builds on our phase 1 objective to ‘encourage registered social landlords, community groups and other private bodies to engage in empty homes work’.

We recognised that there were a range of organisations that were struggling to acquire suitable housing to meet the demand that they get for housing and may not have considered empty homes as part of the solution to meet their housing needs. As a key part of delivering this objective we sought to establish strategic & innovative kickstarter projects that would enable these organisations to incorporate empty homes into their work.

The aim for each project and the objective overall was to test established thinking and assumptions on what is preventing homes from being brought back into use and what will work to unlock them.

For our phase 2 objective, we will draw on what we learn from these, and other projects, to build up our knowledge of what works, and any common challenges and obstacles that arise, as we look to encourage more organisations to invest in empty homes work.