Tahmina Nizam: Empty homes have a part to play in tackling Scotland’s housing emergency

A record-breaking 2,066 empty homes were brought back into use in 2024-25, the highest annual total since the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) was established. That means that across Scotland SEHP and the dedicated Empty Homes Officers working in many of our councils have helped bring a total of 12,955 empty homes back into use since 2010.

We’ve also seen an increased focus on bringing privately owned empty homes back into use at a local authority level. Of Scotland’s 32 councils, 25 either have or are developing an empty homes strategy, more than double the number last year.

This is important progress, especially in the context of Scotland’s ongoing housing emergency. The pressure on the housing system just keeps growing right across the country. We know that empty homes aren’t the whole answer to the housing emergency, but they can be an important part of it.

There is clearly a need to deliver more, new, social and affordable homes but we equally can’t afford to overlook the assets we already have, especially when construction continues to face significant challenges. Returning an existing empty home to use is a cost-effective way to meet local housing need, and we know that the most environmentally friendly home is the one that already exists.

Bringing empty homes back into use doesn’t just benefit those who ultimately occupy them. Empty homes often become a focus of anti-social behaviour if a building starts to fall into disrepair, it has obvious negative knock-on effects for the wider community. So, bringing empty homes back into use can help revitalise communities and promote wider social change.

That’s why I’m so proud of SEHP’s continued success and offer my thanks to the diligent hardworking empty homes officers in councils across Scotland who are making a vital contribution to the fight against the housing emergency. It’s their graft and hard work on the ground and in communities that’s ensuring houses are becoming homes once again. I’m also grateful to the Scottish Government, who continue to fund our work, and to Shelter Scotland, who host the partnership.

At SEHP, our vision is that ultimately no privately owned home in Scotland sits empty for more than six months, and our record-breaking year shows we’re making progress towards that aim. However, we know there’s a long way to go.

There are still 43,538 empty homes in Scotland. More than 31,500 of those homes have been empty for more than a year and the longer a home sits empty the harder it is to bring them back into use. There are clearly many more challenges ahead.

Realising the full potential of the tens of thousands of Scotland’s empty homes will require a strategic focus and sustained investment. The growing number of councils adopting an empty homes strategy is an excellent sign that the willingness is there, we just need to make sure we harness the momentum already generated and continue to build on the good work that’s already happening.

The fundamental point is that homes weren’t built to sit empty and as the housing emergency rumbles on, we simply can’t afford to allow such a precious resource go to waste. Every empty property brought back into use can change the lives of those who ultimately call them home. Collectively, empty homes can make a big contribution to transforming Scotland’s housing landscape for the better.