Demand for massive empty homes renovation to tackle homelessness crisis

Campaigners demand massive renovation of empty homes amid homelessness crisis

A campaign group has demanded a huge drive to renovate and repurpose old housing stock after new statistics revealed record levels of child homelessness.

Sean Clerkin, of the Scottish Tenant Organisation, said an audit of all empty homes should be carried out, with a view to putting families in decent, long term, social housing homes.

Clerkin said: “The homelessness statistics for Scotland represent a disastrous policy failure by the Scottish Government in tackling homelessness Government in tackling homelessness.

“This has been exacerbated by their massive cuts to the affordable housing supply programme budget and in cutting monies to homeless services across Scotland.

“A whole generation of children have been condemned to destitution and penury barely existing in horrific overcrowded temporary accommodation.

“The Scottish Government then has to reset itself to make the Housing and Homeless Emergency it’s top priority spending all the monies needed to build thousands of new social rented homes, retrofit and renovate thousands of empty homes and give additional Local Authority homeless services more resources to deal with the rising tide of homelessness in Scotland.”

Clerkin called for the resignation of housing minister Paul McLennan, who has been widely slammed for failing to meet house building targets and drastically cutting budgets for affordable homes.

Despite that McLennan said the Government has a “strong track record in supporting the delivery of affordable homes”.

Top news stories today

• Female killer now living as man in jail
• Gangster Lyons prison death to be probed
• Ex shopkeeper exposed as drugs kingpin
• Abortion buffer zones come into force

He added: “We will continue to build on that record with a total investment of almost £600 million in affordable housing this year.”

The latest figures show the number of children in temporary accommodation rose to 10,110 in 2024, an increase of 5% compared to last year. This is the highest since records began in 2016.

A total 33,619 households were assessed as homeless, an increase of 3% on last year (2022-23) and the highest since records began in 2016.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.