SCOTTISH LABOUR has joined calls for tougher action on Scotland’s thousands of empty homes.

Their number has grown by 70 per cent since 2014 to 27,280 in 2023 while 32,240 households — including 16,263 children — languish in homelessness.

The data from the Scottish Parliament’s public information service emerged after a year that has seen several councils declare a housing emergency as they wrestle with a staggering 110,000 households on waiting lists for social housing, and 15,039 households with a record 9,595 children in temporary accommodation.

Despite giving councils new powers from April to double council tax on empty homes, the SNP-Green Scottish government was labelled “in denial” in November by housing charity Shelter Scotland for refusing to back a motion declaring a national housing emergency.

The mover of that motion, Scottish Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said: “Homelessness in Scotland is soaring, but instead of gripping this crisis head on, this government refuses to accept there is even a crisis to begin with.

“Taxing these properties properly and returning some of Scotland’s long-term empty homes to the market would go a long way towards fixing this problem, but instead things are only getting worse.

“We need real action to ramp up the council tax surcharges on homes lying empty for years and raise more cash to tackle the housing emergency.”

Mr Griffin’s frustration was shared by tenants’ union Living Rent secretary Aditi Jehangir, who said: “Scotland is desperate for a crackdown on empty homes.

“The 28,280 homes sitting empty could be filled by 28,280 people stuck on waiting lists or struggling to find homes.

“Across Scotland, the impact of empty homes is devastating. Second homes are inflating the price of housing and pushing up rents.”

Ms Jehangir said that rural communities are becoming ghost towns, adding: “In Tiree, 46 per cent of homes are empty for most of the year. And in the bigger cities, long-term residents are being pushed out by the increase of holiday lets and unaffordable rents.

“Councils need every power they can to bring back homes into long-term use.

“We need councils to increase tax on empty homes and to urgently crack down on second-home ownership.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Tackling empty homes is a priority. We continue to fund the work of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, and councils already have broad compulsory purchase powers which can be used for a range of purposes.”