Lack of affordable housing is forcing families and young people to leave their island and rural communities. It is creating a crisis in workforce availability for those with jobs and those obtaining work locally unable to find places to live.
“are there other publicly owned similar empty properties which could be used to house these desperate people?”
In 2020 Orkney had the third highest level of vacant dwellings within Scotland with an estimated 5.6% of the housing stock lying empty.
“We were talking with someone we know who lives in Stromness, who told us that lock-down has shown him just how many empty houses there are, around him.”
Rachael Bowes, the Empty Homes Development Officer, has enabled 18 empty properties to be brought back into use.
event at the King Street Halls, Kirkwall, on Wednesday 16th May from 12 noon to 6pm.
“A third of the annual £50 million budget – £18 million – will be reserved for sales from SME builders”
It disturbs me that we have come to accept Foodbanks as the norm and that thousands of Scottish children do not have a permanent place to call home.
“due to enthusiastic coverage by both local and national broadcasters.”
In 2006 there were 802 homes unoccupied and in 2016 this had risen to 1151
