Industry News
Government urged to regenerate the UK’s sheltered housing stock
A cross-party Parliamentary inquiry has called on the Government to help regenerate a “significant proportion” of the UK’s sheltered housing stock. A new report from the All-Party Parliament
Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People, co-chaired by Lord Best, calls for urgent upgrades to the estimated 527,000 sheltered housing properties in the UK.
Researched and written by the Housing LIN, and funded by Abbeyfield, the report highlights the need for modern, accessible homes for older residents.
It showcases successful regeneration
projects and urges investment in refurbishments, emphasising the health benefits. Lord Best said: “Sadly a lot of the sheltered
housing of the 1960s and 70s is now past its sell-by date and ready for a serious upgrade. Bedsits, let alone shared bathrooms, are no longer acceptable. If this accommodation becomes hard to let or is sold off, the nation will lose a precious asset that will be hugely expensive to replace. “So now is the time for a significant
programme of imaginative regeneration of outdated sheltered housing that can provide much-needed affordable, accessible, sociable homes fit for our ageing population for decades to come.” Jeremy Porteous, chief executive of the
Housing LIN, said: “Sheltered housing is the single largest designated accommodation type available for older people. However, we have discovered that the sector is encountering significant operational challenges in maintaining this valuable asset. Much of the housing stock is in need of improvement and there are increasing cost pressures on services. “With technology advances, modern
construction materials and methods, as well as older people’s housing preferences changing too, we believe the timing is right to generate a contemporary sheltered housing offer that takes the ‘sheltered’ out of ‘sheltered housing’ and provides an attractive housing choice in later life for future generations instead.”
Record number of empty homes brought back into use across Scotland
A
report published by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) shows that almost 11,000 long term empty homes have
been brought back into use in Scotland since the partnership was established in 2010. In its latest impact report, the SEHP reported
that Empty Homes Officers helped owners to bring 1,875 long-term empty homes back into use in 2023/24. Tis is the highest annual total recorded and takes the total number of homes returned to use to 10,889 since the partnership commenced. Te SEHP is funded by the Scottish Government
and hosted by Shelter Scotland. Its work supports the Scottish Government’s commitment to bringing empty homes back into use as affordable housing where possible. At a time when the Scottish Government, and ten
local authorities in Scotland, have declared housing emergencies, the contribution empty homes can make to provide the housing Scotland needs cannot be underestimated. Tahmina Nizam, national manager for the SEHP
said: “Te impact of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and empty homes officers across the country was recognised in the independent audit of empty homes work published by the Scottish Government last year. It is demonstrated again by the figures in the report we have published today. “With more local authorities declaring housing
emergencies over the past few months and the Scottish Government itself declaring a housing emergency in May, we know that bringing empty homes back into use will play a crucial part in meeting housing demand locally and nationally. Te best way for local authorities to ensure we make full use of empty homes would be to expand their empty homes services and increase the resources they allocate to empty homes work as a whole.” Te Impact Report highlights how a number of the local authorities who have declared a housing
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www.housingmmonline.co.uk
emergency – including Edinburgh, Fife and West Lothian – are increasing their commitment to empty homes work by appointing additional empty homes officers. However, it also notes that Moray Council are planning to discontinue their dedicated empty homes service this month, which will mean that homes that could be brought back to use as much needed social or affordable housing will remain empty. A vital resource for neighbours faced with stress from living next door to an empty home will cease to exist. Scotland’s Housing Minister Paul McLennan said:
“Tis report demonstrates the benefit that returning long-term empty homes back into use can have on communities in Scotland. Te Scottish Government has invested over £3.7m in the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, including funding to embed dedicated empty homes officers within councils. Since 2010, this has helped to return almost 11,000 properties to active use, providing much needed homes for families. “Bringing empty homes back into use is one
of the most cost-effective ways of increasing housing stock and I want to see every local authority working with the Partnership. I want to make clear that councils can also utilise the ring- fenced revenue they derive from council tax on second and empty homes to fund these essential empty homes services.” Te report also includes updates on five
kickstarter projects, part-funded by the SEHP, that were established to encourage more organisations to get involved in empty homes work. Te most recent of these, is with the Community Impact Initiative (Cii). Te project, launched earlier this year, is the forerunner to a multi-year program that will regenerate empty homes in Dundee. Te renovation work itself will be used to support over 180 local people to gain the skills and qualifications needed to move towards employment.
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