The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) said it was down to work undertaken by councils that resulted in an estimated 697 homes – altogether worth over £110 million - being lived in once again.

There are around 34,000 houses that are deemed ‘long-term vacant’. However there are some 150,000 individual people and families still on the waiting list for homes. Councils received over 36,000 homeless applications just last year.

Calls for The Scottish Government to introduce a ‘compulsory sale order power’ have been made. If such a rule was brought in, it would mean the local councils could force houses or land to be put on the market if they haven’t been used for three years.

The SEHP is also pushing for a broader range of incentive schemes to be made available.

The SEHP’s annual report stated: “There continue to be challenges in pursuing effective empty homes work, primarily the restricted nature of existing financial incentives and the lack of an effective enforcement power for Scotland’s worst empty homes.”

Kristen Hubert, SEHP national manager, said: “In the last year real progress has been made to bring some of Scotland’s 34,000 empty homes back into use, including making use of almost £110 million in wasted assets and the launch of a free, national empty homes helpline.”

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart commended the progress made, but added that there were still improvements to be made: “More work is needed to ensure any powers brought forward are effective in tackling the impact of abandoned buildings, particularly those that blight town centres and neighbourhoods, as well as adequately protecting the rights of owners.” 

These impressive results demonstrate the hard work of the Partnership and the network of empty homes officers to ensure as many empty homes are brought back into use as possible