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SCOTTISH councils must do more to get empty homes back in use, campaigners said yesterday.
According to the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP), 10 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities have no staff assigned to this task.
But official figures show there are around 37,000 empty homes north of the border.
SEHP national manager Shaheena Din said: “The evidence is clear — where a local authority employs an empty homes officer the results are outstanding.
“Some local authorities can bring hundreds of empty homes back into use while others hardly any. We urge all local authorities who currently don’t employ an empty homes officer to do so.”
The SEHP, which is funded by the Scottish government and hosted by Shelter Scotland, says it has helped bring more than 2,800 empty properties back into use since 2010.
Scottish Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Long-term empty homes can be a blight on communities and are a wasted resource at a time when we need more homes.
“Bringing them back into use is a cost-effective way to increase supply and support community regeneration.”
