Empty town centre properties to provide new affordable homes

A £4 million fund to transform abandoned and empty town centre properties will help create 87 new affordable homes.

The Scottish Government’s Town Centre Empty Homes Fund will help revamp 10 derelict spaces, producing 62 homes for social rent, 11 homes for intermediate rent and 14 new homes for affordable sale.

Social justice secretary Alex Neil announced the 10 successful applicants to the fund today – ranging from housing associations to private landlords.

This support is being delivered alongside the Empty Homes Partnership, which since 2010 has brought more than 900 homes back into use and encouraged 17 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to appoint dedicated empty homes officers in their area. The partnership is run by the housing charity Shelter Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.

Mr Neil said: “There are an estimated 27,000 empty properties in Scotland. We need to work to bring some of these properties back into use, creating not just affordable and accessible housing, but revitalising town centres and bringing areas back to life.

“Making use of existing housing stock can make a real difference to people and communities, and we know the transformation of these spaces will have a huge impact.”

Adam Lang, head of communications and policy at Shelter Scotland, said: “This funding is great news for people in need of an affordable home and for town centre communities blighted by empty properties. Empty homes projects funded in this way will not only make a crucial addition to the affordable housing supply, they will also demonstrate the major impact that bringing empty properties back into use as homes can have on town centres.

“Bringing empty homes back into use is not just about adding to the available housing stock, it’s about regenerating communities into places that people feel proud to call home.”

Successful Applicants

Org.	Project	Grant	Loan	Post Project Use	Units
Station Court DEVCO	Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy,	£475k	£475k	Intermediate Rent (5) & For sale (14)	19
Plainstones Ltd	5 and 6 Hill Place House, Inverness	£70k	£70k	Social Rent	2
Clyde Valley HA	Hamilton St, Carluke	£75k	£75k	Social Rent	5
Clyde Valley HA	Academy St, Coatbridge	£250k	£250k	Social Rent	12
Castlerock Edinvar	Bogwood Rd, Dalkeith	£241k	£245k	Social Rent	6
Shettleston HA	Carntyne Old Church	£475k	£475k	Social Rent	19
Glasgow HA	27 Hillend Rd, Lambshill	£37k	£37k	Social Rent	2
Southside Housing Assoc Ltd	105 Allison St & others	£420k	£280k	Social Rent	14
Glen Oaks HA	25 Kilmuir Rd, Arden	£30k	30k	Social Rent	2
Robertson Property Ltd	The Cottages High Street Elgin	£100k	£100k	Intermediate Rent	6

SOURCE: Scottish Housing News