Annual Report
Meeting our strategic objectives – 2 – Encouraging councils to mainstream empty homes work
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, in partnership with COSLA and ALACHO, launched our Why Empty Homes Matter information pack at our 2022 annual conference. The pack makes the case for mainstreaming empty homes work by showing how bringing empty homes back to use can contribute to delivering Housing to 2040’s four-part plan of: More homes…
[…]Case Study – Encouraging councils to mainstream empty homes work
Cllr Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council, Executive Member for Economic Regeneration and Finance talks about the importance of empty homes work in the round. Scottish Borders Council recently hired its first dedicated Empty Homes Officer to help deliver long-term empty properties back into use. In just a few short months, the new officer has reached…
[…]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. 2021/22 saw a change in the breakdown of reasons for homes becoming empty, as death of the previous owner ceased to be the…
[…]Options available to officers
Empty homes officers have a limited range of options available to encourage a home to be brought back into use. As part of our annual survey we asked – “In your experience, how commonly used are following key actions in assisting owners to bring properties back into use?” Empty Homes Officers were asked to grade each…
[…]Case Study – Angus Council – Acquisition/buy back
This 1-bedroom Milton Park property in Monifieth, Angus was empty for 13 months, and identified as potentially suitable to be purchased via Angus Council’s ‘Open Market Acquisition Scheme’8 . The local housing area office and housing technical teams were in agreement that this property was suited to be included in council housing stock and a…
[…]