Fresh calls to reduce number of empty homes
A Tory MSP has made fresh calls for urgent action to tackle the blight of empty homes.
Shadow Housing Minister, Graham Simpson, who previously called on South Lanarkshire Council to“up its game”in filling empty homes, has now slammed the SNP government for“simply not doing enough”in the midst of a“homelessness crisis”during a new year parliamentary debate.
He implored the SNP to follow through on their housing policy commitments arguing that utilising Scotland’s existing, unoccupied housing stock is an answer to the growing housing crisis.
Latest figures show that in 2019 there were 65,277 second homes and empty properties in Scotland.
Meanwhile, statistics revealed that the number of empty properties in South Lanarkshire increased from 2656 in 2007 to 3243 in 2017 – a 22 per cent increase.
But Mr Simpson said it is“encouraging” South Lanarkshire Council is now looking to fill the post of Empty Homes Officer – being one of the few local authorities not to have one.
He said:“We are making very little impact on the number of properties that are not in use.
“At a time when we have a homelessness crisis and young people struggling to get their foot on the housing ladder, the SNP Scottish Government simply are not doing enough.
“An opportunity is being missed with empty homes in Scotland as it makes far more economic sense to utilise an existing property than to build a new home.”
Data from the Scottish Government has revealed that the number of empty properties and second homes have increased to their second highest level since 2005 with more than 40,000 empty properties across the country.
Additionally, according to data from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, the average cost of renovating an empty property is between £6000 and £25,000, compared to an estimated average of £120,000 to build a new home.
Mr Simpson also called on the SNP to enact Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee report recommendation to introduce compulsory sales orders to tackle the issue.
He added:“This government is just
Issue dragging their feet on enacting proper empty homes policy. While the issue is complex and it requires different solutions, the SNP need to heed the advice of the parliamentary committee and start turning vacant houses into homes.
“The Scottish Government and local council’s need to work together and tackle the housing crisis head on as it’s an issue of growing importance.”
But the SNP’s Linda Fabiani argued there was“no simple, straightforward solution as suggested by Graham Simpson and his Tory colleagues”.
She said:“There are all sorts of reasons why homes can lie empty – it’s not always simply a case of compulsory purchase where a house has been abandoned, or where a private landlord refuses to bring a flat up to a habitable standard.
“There are sometimes very good reasons, legal or personal, why a home lies empty.”
SNP spokesperson for South Lanarkshire, Councilllor Josh Wilson, said: “The SNP had it in our manifesto to bring empty homes back into use and employing an empty homes officer is part of that.
“This is just one measure to increase the level of housing available in South Lanarkshire. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the Tories decimating our housing stock through Help-to-Buy or taking millions of pounds from the Housing Budget through Universal Credit, we would be in a far better position.”