Empty and second properties usually are not the reply to Scottish housing shortages, based on DJ Alexander.
The Scottish property company stated that the announcement by housing secretary, Mairi McAllan, that she was appearing to forestall “unacceptable” ranges of empty properties in Scotland is worthy however won’t come near resolving the present housing emergency.
McAllan stated that she was going to fund extra empty properties officers to deliver privately owned homes again into use. These officers work on the £2m a 12 months Scottish authorities funding within the Scottish Empty Houses Partnership (SEHP).
This organisation seeks to establish empty properties and encourage homeowners to deliver these properties onto the market. There are already empty properties officers throughout many Scottish councils, and the organisation has introduced slightly below 11,000 properties to the market within the fifteen years because it was established.
Figures revealed by the SEHP acknowledged that in 2023/24 there have been 46,217 properties empty for six months in Scotland, however this determine falls to twenty-eight,280 for properties which were vacant for greater than a 12 months. The best variety of properties empty for greater than a 12 months was in Highland which had 3,334, Edinburgh was subsequent with 2,751, and Aberdeen had 2,615.
On the different finish of the size East Renfrewshire solely had 62 vacant properties for six months and isn’t listed on the official statistics for longer than a 12 months presumably indicating there have been none for the complete 12 months. Clackmannanshire had 102 and East Dunbartonshire 220 vacant for greater than 12 months.
McAllan stated: “Bringing properties again into use is an important a part of our plan to sort out the housing emergency – when too many households are struggling to seek out someplace to dwell, it’s unacceptable to me that so many homes are mendacity empty for lengthy intervals.”
Based on SEHP the principle purpose for properties remaining vacant are issue contacting the proprietor; ongoing repairs; homeowners uncertain of finish use; unwilling to promote or hire; property inherited; repairs stalled for monetary causes; with the remaining causes because of delays within the dealing with estates, getting into a care residence, authorized points, and others.
An extra argument is commonly made that second residence possession is a part of the housing drawback, however the newest Scottish authorities figures present that there at the moment are simply 21,606 second properties in Scotland representing a ten% fall 12 months on 12 months to 2024 and the most important fall in numbers in a decade. Second properties account for simply 1% of all housing in Scotland.
David Alexander, the chief govt officer of DJ Alexander Scotland, commented: “There may be little doubt that regenerating and reviving properties which have been empty for a considerable time frame might be useful for an space. A property that’s an eyesore in a village, city or metropolis can solely be improved by renovation.”
“The priority is that by conflating the problem of the present housing scarcity in Scotland with virtually simply over 28,000 properties empty for a 12 months misses the purpose that even when all of those homes are put in the marketplace instantly this can do little to alleviate the gathered issues the nation presently faces. As well as, a property being vacant for 12 months can imply virtually nothing as this may be for a number of causes as conceded by SEHP.”
He continued: “Estates can take a very long time to be happy so many of those empty properties might not be in use for completely reliable causes. There might many different causes these properties are empty. Folks could also be working overseas, they might be in hospital, in a care residence, travelling, retired, and residing elsewhere with relations or an entire host of causes which lead to a property being left empty for a protracted time frame.”
“The priority is whether or not by specializing in empty and second properties this can be a distraction from the bigger subject of the necessity to construct extra homes within the social and personal sectors.”
Alexander added: “Whereas the goals could also be laudable, this isn’t the answer to the present housing emergency. The reply is to extend the amount of recent residence constructing which might resolve our present housing points lengthy earlier than lowering the variety of empty and second properties and vacation lets would make a small dent within the general shortages. These are sticking plaster options to a gaping wound drawback.
“The essential consider that is that lowering the variety of empty and second properties, and vacation lets offers the looks of doing one thing with out costing very a lot to implement. These are insurance policies which look as if they’re the reply to housing wants, however the actuality is that solely by resolving our present low housebuilding ranges will we begin to see a discount within the excessive variety of folks in search of to purchase or hire a house sooner or later.”
