11 January 2011
Councils will be financially rewarded for bringing empty homes back into use, the government has announced.
Communities minister Andrew Stunell yesterday pledged to match the council tax raised from filling a property that was previously empty. Local authorities will be able to spend the money, known as the New Homes Bonus and due to come in this April, on improving the local area as they wish.
Suggestions from government for the extra cash included giving council tax discounts, boosting local services or renovating more empty properties.
There are thought to be about 300,000 long-term empty properties across England, adding to the problem of squeezed housing stock.
Stunell said these vacant homes easily fell into disrepair and attracted squatters, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.
‘Empty properties should instead be treated as an asset and brought back into use for families that need somewhere to live.
‘That’s why we’re giving local councils powerful new incentives to tackle the problem. The coalition government is pledging to match the council tax raised for every property brought back into use to help these properties become homes for thousands of families in need.
‘It’s vital that local communities, councils and owners of empty properties work together to bring properties back into use and begin to tackle this problem that is blighting our local communities,’ he said.
The new incentive is in addition to £100m of funding announced in the October Spending Review for housing associations to try to address the same problem.
