Hansard

I congratulate Gordon MacDonald on bringing the debate to the chamber.

The housing emergency is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges that we face. As the motion states, the empty homes issue in Edinburgh is particularly critical. A total of 7,200 homes, with a worth estimated by Admiral of £1.8 billion, are sitting empty; that is enough space in which to house every single person living in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh. Bringing those homes back into use is key if we want to tackle the housing emergency.

That is why I join other members in welcoming the work of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership. After all, bringing 1,800 homes back into use is worthy of praise. In the partnership’s most recent annual impact report—for 2024—there are numerous examples of empty homes leading to antisocial behaviour, increased fire risk and water ingress damaging neighbouring properties. By bringing homes back into use, we can mitigate those risks and make communities more welcoming.

I note, too, the low climate impact of bringing homes back into use. I recently sponsored an event with Historic Environment Scotland, which said that

“The Greenest building is the one that already exists”,

and nowhere is that clearer than in the work of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.

One example is Barns house in the Borders. It was named best environmental retrofit, having sat empty for 25 years before being brought back into use with full energy efficiency. That project was completed through the work of an empty homes officer. The empty homes audit report, “Bringing empty homes back into use: an audit of privately owned empty homes in Scotland”, found that empty homes officers were

“the most effective means of bringing properties back into use”.

I am pleased to note that, at the time of the report’s publication, the City of Edinburgh Council was in the process of hiring a second empty homes officer.

Although the partnership’s work is necessary and welcome, the Scottish National Party cannot simply pat itself on the back for a job well done. The number of empty homes has still increased over the past 10 years, and there are record numbers of people in temporary accommodation. Moreover, earlier this year, the affordable housing supply budget was cut by almost £200 million. That is a direct hit on our ability to tackle the housing emergency, and it is not the action of a Government that is fulfilling its ambition of tackling the housing emergency.

Following the UK Government’s budget, the Scottish Government has the money to tackle these issues, and it must now deliver. It should begin by reinstating the cut to the affordable housing supply programme and empowering councils to take more action on empty homes.