1,000 Scottish homes have been empty for over a DECADE
CLOSE to 1,000 homes have been empty for over a decade sparking calls for the Scottish Government to introduce a new loan scheme to help with renovation costs. Scottish Liberal Democrats have urged ministers to act to ensure unoccupied private sector properties are brought back to use after unearthing there are more than 20,000 long term vacant properties across 23 local authority areas.
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Using a freedom of information request, the party discovered 5,583 homes had been empty for at least two years, while 2,053 had not been lived in for five years. Some 927 properties had been vacant for over a decade. Midlothian Council confirmed it was aware of one home which had been empty since April 1993 - almost 25 years - while the Scottish Borders Council had 190 homes which had been empty for a minimum of 10 years and Fife Council had 130 properties
In total, 20,027 homes had been empty for a minimum of six months despite urgent need for affordable housing.
Party leader Willie Rennie released the statistics just days after figures showed the number of children living in temporary accommodation had risen by 10 per cent in one year.
There were 6,581 children living in temporary homes on September 30 last year, up by 594 compared with the same day in 2016.
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The Scottish Government said it had committed £756 million to its Affordable Housing Supply Programme.
While new build homes cost an average of £100,000 to construct, the bill for refurbishing an empty property is significantly lower at between £6,000 and £25,000, according to the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.
The Lib Dems say bringing the empty properties back into use would help alleviate homelessness.
Mr Rennie added: "The new figures we have released today show the potential to create many more homes by bringing neglected properties back into use.
Thousands of houses and flats across the country have been empty for years on end. We have identified almost a thousand that have been out of use for over a decade. With the right incentives and help, many of these could be resurrected.
"It is typically far cheaper to renovate an existing home than it is to build a new one. That's why Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for the Scottish Government to introduce of a new help to renovate loan to get existing vacant properties up to scratch and back in use, boosting Scotland's housing stock."
According to the party's figures 190 private homes in the Scottish Borders Council area have been empty for a minimum of 10 years, with 130 properties in Fife Council also unused in this time.
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Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: "Ensuring everyone has access to a safe, warm and affordable place to call home lies at the heart of our ambition for a fairer Scotland.
"Core to that is our commitment to deliver at least 50,000 affordable homes over this Parliament.
"While that is challenging, we have shown before that we can deliver. That is why we have committed more than £756 million this year for our Affordable Housing Supply Programme."
