Rennie: There are now 43,000 homeless Scots and 43,000 empty homes

Scottish Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson Willie Rennie has today highlighted the “calamitous mismatch” which means that Scotland now has as many empty properties as it does people without permanent accommodation.

New figures published this week as part of the Scottish Government’s Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update reveal that, as of September 2022, there are 42,865 long-term empty properties.

Analysis by Scottish Liberal Democrats previously revealed that on 25 December 2021, there were 25,458 live homelessness applications, covering 29,196 adults and 13,876 children, for a total of 43,072 homeless people in Scotland.

To tackle homelessness, Scottish Liberal Democrats are calling for the Scottish Government to:

• Offer help to renovate loans to bring derelict homes back into use.

• Take forward the Housing First and Rapid Rehousing principles to end rough sleeping and homelessness, by providing both housing and other support services to individuals in need.

• Address the additional challenges for young homeless people with special pathways to link suitable jobs and training to housing.

• Bring forward new legislation which would strengthen the duties on public bodies to prevent homelessness.

• Build 60,000 affordable homes to help address homelessness, including 40,000 for social rent – a more ambitious target than the SNP/Green Government’s target.

• Increase the number of homes constructed for social rent and re-establish social renting as a valid long-term option for people.

Willie Rennie said:

“Most of us take for granted that we will be comfortable and secure with a roof over our heads.

“There is a calamitous mismatch at work when a country can have tens of thousands of people desperate for a roof over their heads and also have tens of thousands of empty properties sitting around. For Scots trapped in unstable situations, sofa-surfing or even living on the streets, it must feel like adding insult to injury.

“Not all of these properties would be instantly ready for occupation, but the Scottish Government must do far more to work with local authorities and communities to ensure that where properties have sat unused for years, steps are taken to bring them back into use.

“That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for new help to renovate loans to bring derelict homes back into use and strengthen our commitment to ending homelessness across Scotland.”