Award finalist

FIFE Council is in the running for a national housing award.

Its empty homes service has been named as a finalist in the outstanding service category at the Howdens Scottish Empty Homes Champions of the Year awards.

Scotland has about 34,000 unoccupied privately-owned empty homes but about 2,400 of them have been brought back into use since the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland, was created.

The winners will be announced by the housing minister Kevin Stewart tomorrow.

The partnership’s Shaheena Din said bringing empty homes back into use was a key part of the solution to Scotland’s housing crisis.