Argyll and Bute Council's housing services team has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Innovation Award at this year's Empty Homes Network (EHN) Awards.

The team also received high commendations in four other categories, celebrating their significant efforts in tackling housing shortages.

The Innovation Award was specifically given for the team's groundbreaking project aimed at bringing empty properties back into use for Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) staff. This initiative directly addresses the challenges faced by the HSCP in attracting and retaining staff in the area, partly due to a lack of affordable housing. The two-year project, the first of its kind in Scotland, is funded by the HSCP and the Scottish Government/Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.


Further recognition was bestowed upon Empty Homes Officer, Isla Binnie, who was highly commended for both the Empty Homes Practitioner of the Year and the Rising Star Award. These accolades follow her recent commendation in the Outstanding Contribution category at this year's Scottish Empty Homes Awards.

The broader housing services team also garnered high commendations in the EHN's Meeting the Challenge Award and the Best Partnership Award, underscoring their comprehensive approach to addressing empty homes.

The EHN Awards acknowledge the vital work carried out by empty homes officers, teams, and practitioners across the UK, celebrating their successes and achievements at a national level.

Councillor Jim Lynch, the council's Policy Lead for Economic Development, Islands, Rural Communities and Housing, extended his congratulations: "Huge congratulations to our housing services team on this outstanding success, particularly Isla, who has worked tirelessly on this project to address the housing need in Argyll and Bute. We are committed to making changes to tackle the housing emergency, and we are working collectively with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that everyone has a place to call home. There is a lot of work going on every day behind the scenes to make this happen and together we will continue to speak up to promote the issues and interests of Argyll and Bute."