Empty Homes Brought Back to Life

By Belinda Fewings via Unsplash

By Abby Campbell 

Since April 2019, the ‘Empty Homes Project’ of Glasgow City Council has regenerated unoccupied houses to provide homes for people and families in need.  Over 3,000 homes throughout the city and surrounding areas have been released as accommodation. 

The council’s strategy is crucial as it is reducing the current ‘housing emergency’ being faced within the city, while tackling blight within housing estates to reduce vandalism, as empty homes can become eyesores or targets for vandalism. 

Empty Homes have been described by the council as privately-owned residential properties that have been vacant for over six months, due to reasons such as mortgage defaults and property title issues. 

The council will use its CPO (compulsory purchase) powers, when necessary, in cases where owners either cannot be tracked or refuse to interact with the Empty Homes team.  

Through CPOs, the council have brought 74 homes back into use; the majority being within the socially rented homes category.  

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Convener for Housing, Development and Land Use at Glasgow City Council, said: “What is really important here is that thousands of people and families now have homes to stay in that they would otherwise not. 

“We will continue to work on what has been a very successful strategy so far.” 

As a response to the Housing Emergency in Glasgow, the council is launching a grant scheme to motivate property owners to bring them back into use.  

The council are urging all empty homeowners to take action to help their communities’ current crisis.  

Homeowners are asked to contact the council at emptyhomes@glasgow.gov.uk if they are not looking to occupy or leave it unoccupied for the foreseeable future.

If they are looking to sell their property, then they should contact Glasgow City Council at NRSHousingAcquisitions@glasgow.gov.uk for assistance.