By Neil Merrick
8 February 2010
Seventeen councils are to receive £1m to train staff as part of a campaign to turn hundreds of empty private homes into social housing or sell them to first-time buyers.
Announcing the grants on February 5, housing minister John Healey said some landlords and their tenants were not aware that councils have the power to take over derelict homes if the owners refuse to bring them back into use.
Under the scheme, empty properties will be renovated and let to families on housing waiting lists or private funding raised so they can be sold through low-cost ownership schemes. The crackdown is also designed to reduce antisocial behaviour, including vandalism and drug-taking, which often occurs where large numbers of properties stand empty.
‘Empty houses are both a blight on communities and a waste of much-needed homes,’ said Healey. ‘I want councils using every tool available so that people can see action being taken against antisocial behaviour in their area.’
Up to 10,000 frontline workers and community champions (including 1,000 tenants) will be trained to work alongside specialist teams with the expertise to lead the crackdown. Torbay Council in Devon has already announced plans to recruit an empty homes officer and target 68 properties that, in most cases, have been empty for more than ten years.
Other councils will work in partnership with housing associations, or with one another, as part of cross-boundary approaches.
The initiative was welcomed by David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency. ‘Every empty property is a missed opportunity for somebody to have a decent home,’ he said.
8 February 2010
Seventeen councils are to receive £1m to train staff as part of a campaign to turn hundreds of empty private homes into social housing or sell them to first-time buyers.
Announcing the grants on February 5, housing minister John Healey said some landlords and their tenants were not aware that councils have the power to take over derelict homes if the owners refuse to bring them back into use.
Under the scheme, empty properties will be renovated and let to families on housing waiting lists or private funding raised so they can be sold through low-cost ownership schemes. The crackdown is also designed to reduce antisocial behaviour, including vandalism and drug-taking, which often occurs where large numbers of properties stand empty.
‘Empty houses are both a blight on communities and a waste of much-needed homes,’ said Healey. ‘I want councils using every tool available so that people can see action being taken against antisocial behaviour in their area.’
Up to 10,000 frontline workers and community champions (including 1,000 tenants) will be trained to work alongside specialist teams with the expertise to lead the crackdown. Torbay Council in Devon has already announced plans to recruit an empty homes officer and target 68 properties that, in most cases, have been empty for more than ten years.
Other councils will work in partnership with housing associations, or with one another, as part of cross-boundary approaches.
The initiative was welcomed by David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency. ‘Every empty property is a missed opportunity for somebody to have a decent home,’ he said.
