A Scots council has left as many as 100 ex-council houses derelict, creating a serious issue in dealing with housing needs, sources indicate. The majority of these homes are located in a street in Ferguslie, Paisley, close to St Mirren’s stadium. The once lively locale now seems to resemble a war movie set due to years of neglect, according to local community members.

The neglected homes in today’s photographs depict an eerie scenario, where the crumbling and boarded up buildings stand as evidence of overlooked living spaces. This comes at a time when countless Scots are desperately in need of homes.

Katy Clark, a Labour MSP, condemned the abandonment, labelling this an appalling instance of disregarded homes amidst a national homelessness crisis.

The council of Renfrewshire issued a statement explaining plans to tear down the housing blocks to pave the way for new construction are in progress.

However, a previous employee of the council’s housing department alleged that some houses have remained vacant for a significant period. These buildings have turned into eyesores as the redevelopment process takes longer than expected.

Last month’s shocking revelation detailed how approximately 93,000 homes are currently unoccupied all over Scotland. This amounts to a potential worth exceeding £18 billion while the nation fights against a severe housing and homelessness crisis.

The insider shared with us: “Some years back, the council planned to transfer the tenants out of these houses. Many of these had been purchased through the Right to Buy scheme, so owners would need to be compensated at a substantial cost.

“The objective was to bulldoze these residential properties to build new ones. However, it’s evident that the demolition contractor has been moving at a slow pace.”

They added: “It’s a pity considering these were well-constructed homes. There are many similar properties sprawled across Renfrewshire. Empty for many years, the council incurs a loss of rent amounting to thousands every year.”

According to Renfrewshire Council, the initial phase of demolition is complete, and a tender is out for the next stage. All tenants and homeowners interested in staying in the area have been accommodated in the recently constructed buildings nearby.

A spokesperson elaborated on the plans for the ongoing renewal of Ferguslie Park, which will reimagine underused land, enhance green spaces, and support local community initiatives. To date, 101 newly constructed homes have replaced the site that was once occupied by St Fergus Primary School.

However, Scotland still grapples with a harsh housing shortage. Powering the property market, this has placed numerous Scots in an untenable scenario as homelessness rates continue on an upward trajectory. The Scottish Government was criticised for slashing its affordable housing budget by approximately £200 million this year.

Around 93,938 privately-owned residences remain unoccupied nationwide. This is in sharp contrast to the record 30,000 Scots presently categorised as homeless, which includes an unfortunate 10,000 kids stuck in provisional accommodation.

Last month, we spoke to homeless people in Glasgow who expressed their frustrations at the staggering number of abandoned properties.

Activists have been consistently advocating for councils to have enhanced powers to enforce compulsory acquisition orders. This will facilitate the purchase of unoccupied residences and their conversion into homes for the homeless.

The West Scotland MSP Clark commented: “About 100,000 homes across Scotland stand empty at any given time. This is nothing short of an outrage.”

The Labour politician suggested that the government could consider initiating legal action and implement an extensive national acquisition policy for purchasing private properties.

The Holyrood government mentioned that the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, sustained by £423,000 in additional funding for this year, has helped restore 9000 vacant homes since 2010.

Paul McLennan, Housing Minister said: “We aim to work in alliance with local councils, housing associations, and others to enhance the distribution of more affordable homes. Most of these would be assigned for social rent, in line with supporting the purchase of existing properties.”