Call for funds to tackle empty homes

The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership has come up with a number of funding ideas to bring empty properties back into use, including a community grants programme, to follow in the footsteps of England’s Empty Homes Community Grants Programme, and a feasibility fund.

The partnership is funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland. The advisory board includes the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Housing Best Value Network, the Scottish Rural and Property Business Association, Historic Scotland and the Rural Housing Service.

There are around 27,000 long-term empty homes in Scotland which the partnership estimates to be worth approximately £4.5 bn.

The partnership has called for not-for-profit groups and community organisations to be incentivised to buy and renovate empty properties by making grants available to them.

The government should set up a £5m community grants programme on a rolling basis over three or four years.

The partnership has discussed the idea with several Scottish banks who indicated that if the government set up a fund they would be interested in developing empty home loans for community groups to add to the fund.

Dave Matkin, director of commercial banking at Unity Trust Bank, said: “By making grant and loan finance available for community-led organisations to take action on empty homes, communities will benefit from regeneration and a range of social impacts.”

The partnership suggests a community organisation could partner with a registered social landlord to handle day-to-day property management.

A £3m empty homes feasibility fund should also be set up, which could include match funded grants offered to owners of long term empty properties, the partnership said.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said empty homes are a “wasted resource”.

He added: “That is why we support the partnership, doubling of its funding up to 2017, and also provide a number of support funds which help bring empty and underused properties back into use through the Town Centre Empty Homes Fund and the Empty Homes Loan Fund.”