Annual Impact Report 2024
The year ahead
2023/24 marked the first year of Phase 2 of the partnership. Our conference in February this year was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate what has been achieved collectively by all those in the partnership, local authorities, the third sector and more since the partnership began in 2010.
Over the past year, as well as continuing to support the network of empty homes officers across Scotland, the Partnership has supported several groundbreaking projects with third sector organisations and produced our strategic empty homes framework. Our work was recognised by Indigo House in their audit of empty homes work and by the Scottish Government when they announced that they would continue to fund the partnership this year.
The funding will allow us to continue to support the Scottish Government in its aims to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing for those that need it.
We will do this by maintaining our focus on delivering the expected outcomes for phase 2 of the partnership and the delivery priorities set out in our contract for this year.
These are set out below.
Expected outcomes
1. Strategy
A strategic approach to bringing empty homes back into use is adopted across the country, enabling better targeting of resources and tracking of progress to bring more empty homes back into use.
2. Capacity
Local authorities, and other organisations with a focus on housing delivery, are able to evidence the benefits of employing dedicated empty homes officers.
3. Skills
Empty homes officers undertake continuous professional development and new officers receive consistent training to ensure they are fully equipped to undertake the role, leading to improved delivery.
4. Advice
More empty homes are delivered back into use through clear, consistent advice and support to empty homeowners and anyone else impacted by empty homes.
Delivery priorities for 24/25
- Support the Scottish Government in the implementation of its Housing to 2040 Strategy by delivering the actions set out in the SEHP Delivery Plan. These actions will contribute to bringing more than 1,000 privately owned homes back into use during 2024-25.
- Support local authorities to adopt a strategic focus within their empty homes services by co-producing data driven tools including best practice examples of an Empty Homes Framework and commencing work to develop an accompanying maturity matrix.
- Promote evidence based benefits of bringing empty homes back into use to encourage diverse involvement across Scotland by sharing the learning from different approaches and projects undertaken to tackle empty homes.
- Support the empty homes officer network to help them be more proactive in the identification of training and development needs and the tools needed to deliver this sustainably for the future.
- Evolve the Empty Homes Advice Service model by increasing the availability and access to online materials and information, considering the case for bringing the marketing in-house and tailoring operation of the helpline facility to maximise effectiveness and efficiency by increasing owner contacts.