Housing Professionals’ Conference speaker interview: Catrin Evans, The Community Impact Initiative C.I.C

Catrin Evans, Head of Development, The Community Impact Initiative C.I.C., is leading a session at this year’s TPAS Scotland Housing Professionals’ Conference on ‘Housing and community – an innovative approach to holistic community regeneration’. Ahead of the event, we caught up with Catrin to learn why empty homes can help to transform lives.

What are you talking about at the conference and why is this an important issue?

My workshop will focus on the empty homes regeneration work of The Community Impact Initiative, particularly how we use the renovation process to help local people move towards a better life. Using this work as an example, we’ll talk more broadly about how to make the most of empty homes and use them to tackle some of the biggest challenges currently facing our communities.

Our work links to a number of important issues, including tackling the housing crisis, improving wellbeing and connection within communities and supporting people into employment.

To what degree are empty homes a problem in the UK/Scotland?

When considered against the backdrop of the current housing crisis, long-term empty homes are a significant resource that could be used to increase the national housing supply and ensure that more people have a safe and comfortable place to live. Despite the desperate and ever-growing need for housing, over 46,000 homes are still sitting empty in Scotland.

How did the idea of using the renovation of empty homes as a vehicle to help people gain skills, achieve qualifications and improve their wellbeing come about?

The idea of combining property regeneration and skills development was thought up by Trystan, our chief executive. Trystan spent years working hard to bring the idea to life, and, in 2017, broke ground on the first renovation. Since then, the organisation has gone from strength to strength, and, so far, we’ve brought 12 empty homes back into use and have supported over 300 people. Our work in Dundee is the exciting next step in our development as an organisation.

TPAS Scotland’s Housing Professionals’ Conference is taking place on 28 and 29 October at Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee and will focus on the theme of ‘professionals supporting professionals’. Catrin’s session is taking place on the second day of the event.

To book your place at the conference, please visit the events section of the TPAS Scotland website or contact enquiries@tpasscotland.org.uk