Posts by Stuart Butler
Case study – Multiple barriers to bringing a home back into use
This property has remained empty for 5 years. The late owner left the home to their children but one passed away and the remaining beneficiary is living overseas. There has been no grant of confirmation applied for, so the property remains exempt from council tax. The property became unoccupied after a family member moved out…
[…]Why homes become and remain empty
As part of our annual survey, we gather information from EHOs on why homes became empty and why they remain empty. EHOs provide this in relation to their active caseload where known. In 22/23 death of the previous owner was once again the most common reason for homes becoming empty. This has been the case…
[…]Meeting our strategic objectives 2 – Encouraging councils to mainstream empty homes work
Local authorities across the country are increasingly recognising the role that empty homes can play in supporting wider housing and social policy goals, at a time when they are facing increased demand for housing and high inflation is limiting their ability to deliver this. We want to see as many empty homes as possible brought…
[…]Bringing homes back into use
This year EHOs recorded 1,257 properties brought back into use. This was a 9% increase on the 2021 total of 1,152 and the second highest total recorded since the partnership commenced. It brings the total number of homes brought back to use to 9,014. Information on how long the home was empty for was available…
[…]SEHP seed funding
Since 2012, the SEHP has instigated and run several Kickstarter and Shared Service projects across Scotland. During the period of this report, the SEHP part funded Kickstarter projects across 3 local authorities. The funding comes with consultancy support from the empty homes team as well as an advisory steer. Any council that does not have…
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