The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) has announced the first speakers of the annual Scottish Empty Homes Conference 2022.
The event will begin on the 1st of February with a keynote speech by Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government.
Neighbours with ‘lived experience’ in dealing with an empty home in the community will also get a chance to share their stories and perspectives.
Other speakers will include Ken Gibb, Director of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence at the University of Glasgow.
Representatives from the Scottish Borders Council and North Lanarkshire Council will also be facilitating breakout sessions.
The Scottish Empty Homes Conference 2022 will be a hybrid event for the first time, allowing participants to attend digitally or in person at the COSLA Events Centre.
This year’s conference will focus on how initiatives to return empty homes back to use can help to create thriving places, boost local economies, and tackle poverty.
Best practice and insights touching on all aspects of empty homes work will be shared, including how local authorities can use innovative tactics to bring back empty homes and the role of empty homes in addressing Scotland’s housing crisis.
SEHP National Project Manager Shaheena Din said: “Celebrating success and coming together to address the issue of empty homes across Scotland is at the centre of the conference, ‘From Empty Spaces to Thriving Places’.
The conference presents a unique chance to reflect and move forward as we continue to tackle Scotland’s 47,000 empty homes and revitalise local economies.”
