As Empty Homes Manager you will liaise with empty homes officers in councils, take referrals from the Scottish Empty Homes Advice Service, from community reports, local knowledge and proactive engagement with owners where possible. You will work to clear criteria for assessing end use and viability of any empty properties, including analysing costs, scope of works required, and the needs of the owner.
You will work alongside other colleagues within the Assets Management Team to successfully deliver a programme of empty property purchase, refurb, communal repairs and preparation for the rental market. As part of the growth plans within Homes for Good, and as part of the National Empty Homes strategy, you will help us bring at least 30 homes back to life within this project.
The Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) is funded by Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland. Its key aim is to encourage Scotland’s private sector long term empty homes back into use. This is the Scottish Government definition of long term empty properties, identified as empty for 6 months or more and liable for council tax. However, we are also interested in bringing some of the 45,000+ properties that are exempt from council tax back into use.
SEHP research shows that for many owners, barriers to making properties homes again may be insufficient funding to make a property suitable for sale or rent and/or lack of demand in the area where the property is located. For these owners, a scheme where properties are bought by an organisation and refurbished, can be the difference between bringing the property back into use, or it remaining empty and causing a detrimental impact to the local community.
HFG is recruiting a Dedicated Empty Homes Manager with financial support from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland, to assist with tackling the problem of empty homes in the West of Scotland. This is a two year pilot programme, intended to demonstrate the value of a dedicated empty homes professional, the sharing of best practice to address empty homes issues, and to bring neglected empty properties back to life as much needed homes. There is possibility of extending the project subject to evaluation and achievement of outcomes.
Please submit your most recent CV, with contact details for two referees, and a covering letter outlining why you think you are the right person for the job to joinus@homesforgood.org.uk no later than Tuesday 31st May 2022.