The Scottish Government has announced a new \u00a34 million fund to help re-use of high street spaces and homes.<\/u>\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n
The Scottish Government writes:
\n<\/u>A new \u00a34 million fund will help bring abandoned homes and empty high street spaces back to life, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced recently.<\/p>\n
The Scottish Government\u2019s Town Centre Empty Homes Fund will help revamp empty homes and convert derelict commercial spaces into new affordable homes.\u00a0 Registered social landlords and developers can\u00a0apply\u00a0for funding, which will be administered by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.\u00a0 The Partnership, which is run by the housing charity Shelter Scotland, works with councils to help bring empty private-sector homes back into use.<\/p>\n
Since 2010, the partnership has brought over 900 homes back into use and encouraged 17 of Scotland\u2019s 32 local authorities to appoint dedicated empty homes officers.<\/p>\n
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: \u2018Town centres are a key element of the economic, social and environmental fabric of Scotland\u2019s towns.\u00a0 We want town centres to thrive sustainably and meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors.\u00a0 Good quality, affordable housing is at the heart of this vision and transforming empty, disused spaces into comfortable homes makes sense.\u00a0 There are an estimated 27,000 long-term private empty homes in Scotland and it makes sense to make the best use possible of these properties when homelessness still exists.\u2019<\/p>\n
Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: \u2018Many of the 27,000 long-term empty homes across Scotland lie in our town centres and are a blight on many neighbourhoods. Bringing them back into use with the help of this fund will be welcome news not only to the 150,500 families and individuals on waiting lists but also those in the private rented sector looking for affordable homes.<\/p>\n
\u2018Making use of existing housing\u00a0stock\u00a0can make a real difference to people and communities. Because of their location, town centre empty homes are already well linked to\u00a0employment\u00a0opportunities and support services, making them places that people want to live.\u2019<\/p>\n
Members of the public can phone a free helpline to report empty homes in their communities, contributing to bringing them back into use. The public can report an empty home by calling 0344 515 1941.<\/p>\n
The announcement comes as people across Scotland are being asked to take part in a national discussion about how the country can be a fairer and more equal place to live, covering topics including access to affordable housing.<\/p>\n
View the news release<\/a><\/p>\n IHBC NewsBlogs on funding<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Scottish Government has announced a new \u00a34 million fund to help re-use of high street spaces and homes.\u00a0 The Scottish Government writes: A new \u00a34 million fund will help bring abandoned homes and empty high street spaces back to … Continue reading