A community grants programme is one possible solution to help bring thousands of empty Scottish homes back into use, according to the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP).

The organisation, which is funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by Shelter Scotland, said that the initiative would "encourage social enterprises, charities and other local organisations to pursue empty homes work".

In addition, the programme would provide local housing and an income stream for local groups.

Shelter Scotland said a number of social banks have already agreed to look at introducing complementary empty homes loan fund products should the programme be introduced.

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SEHP also proposes creating a rolling three-year empty homes feasibility fund in its Empty Homes Financial Incentives Recommendations report.

Kristen Hubert, SEHP National Manager, said: "So far we have helped local authorities and owners bring back into use more than 1,200 private empty homes worth an estimated £200 million.

"This report identifies funding gaps and proposes creative ways forward for bringing more money in to start tackling the rest of the 27,000 long-term empty homes in Scotland that are worth around £4.5 billion.

"The idea of an Empty Homes Community Grant Fund is exciting and has real prospects for success. A similar scheme has been successful in England and it's really positive that we've already had some social banks express interest in creating loan products for this proposal."

The organisation also recommends a second round of Town Centre Empty Homes Funding to complement the empty homes element in the upcoming Rural Housing Fund, as well as an Empty Homes Regeneration Loan Fund.

(LM/JP)