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Monday, February 17, 2025

Local MSP Calls for Joint Working on Empty Homes to Address Housing Emergency

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Ariane Burgess MSP has called for the UK and Scottish Government to work together to tackle the issue of empty homes to address the housing emergency.  

Proposing a series of measures that could be implemented through both the UK and Scottish budgets, Ms Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands, has highlighted the need to prioritise bringing empty properties back into use as a way to quickly and affordably tackle the housing crisis. 

Commenting following the Highland Housing Summit in Aviemore, Ms Burgess welcomed the meeting between the Housing Minister, Highland Council, SSEN and the Scottish National Investment Bank and proposals to build 1,000 new homes but stressed the need to act faster and support Councils and communities to make more of existing housing stock.

Ms Burgess has called for a similar model to that of the Welsh Empty Homes Grant Scheme to be funded via the housing budget:  

“We need to create a fund for local authorities to scale up existing empty homes teams to bring thousands of private empty homes per year back into use.

“The fund could support acquisition of such homes and the cost of bringing them up to modern social housing standards.

“Retrofitting and repurposing existing vacant buildings, like the flats above empty shops, can create three homes for the same price of building one from scratch and has the added benefit of being close to the amenities people need on a daily basis.  

“Delivering this requires a local, well-trained workforce, so I’ve also called on the Government to invest in a mobile traditional building skills training unit – a model that has been working successfully in Ireland to bring specialist construction training to rural communities.

“This could work with Historic Environment Scotland’s recently-announced plans to expand training provided at its specialist centre in Stirling. 

“While I welcome SSEN’s proposals to take out long leases on long-term empty homes and to look at refurbishing existing buildings, we need to see much more detail on these plans and real funding to support the work many Councils are already undertaking.” 

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