Revitalising Empty Properties

Fiona Hodgson, Chief Executive, Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation

Edinburgh, Scotland – Following the Scottish Government’s declaration of a national housing crisis, The Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) urgently calls on government and industry leaders to launch a comprehensive national retrofit plan. This strategy would harness the tens of thousands of vacant, sub-standard properties across Scotland, transforming them into energy-efficient homes and significantly alleviating the housing shortage and its environmental impact.

Commenting on the crisis, Fiona Hodgson, Chief Executive of SNIPEF, said,

“Revitalising these empty properties through a national retrofit strategy is not just about providing more homes; it’s a critical step towards addressing our dual crises of housing and climate change.

“By retrofitting these homes, we improve the energy efficiency of our national housing stock, reducing overall carbon emissions and moving Scotland closer to its net-zero targets.”

SNIPEF calls for a more efficient use of government resources and stresses the importance of leveraging the knowledge and expertise within the construction sector to tackle this crisis effectively.

“We call upon stakeholders from all sectors to unite in support of this initiative, which offers a sustainable and inclusive approach to housing and environmental policy,” Hodgson urges.