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22 Community
Read on to find out more about empty homes and
how you or your organisation can get involved and
make a difference.
WHAT ARE EMPTY HOMES?
An empty home is an unoccupied dwelling or
residential property. There are two broad categories of
empty homes being: Transnational Empty Properties
are those properties that become empty through the
usual life cycle of a property, such as between lettings
or the time taken for occupant to move in after a
house sale. Long-Term Empty Properties are the
properties that have been left vacant for six months
or longer. The later are often fully furnished and are
left in habitable conditions. These are a priority for
council intervention as they are a wasted resource
and if not dealt with, have many negative impacts
on neighbourhoods and wider communities, local
businesses and local authorities.
WHY ARE EMPTY HOMES A PROBLEM?
Empty homes are wasted resources, especially given
the current shortage of affordable housing. England
alone needs 245,000 additional homes each year to
meet new housing demands. Nearly a third of these
homes will need to be below market prices and rent
costs to meet such demands. Recent years has seen
repeated government efforts to develop funding
schemes that bring empty homes back into use, with
some major successes.
“The Government has achieved a year on year
reduction in long-term empty homes and the number
of homes that stand empty for more than six months
is now at its lowest level since records began.” Said
Brandon Lewis, ex-Housing and Planning Minister.
Asked whether the government will continue to
provide funding for empty homes, Lewis said “This
funding was intended to provide a push in the right
direction, we have no plans to provide more.”
So that’s a no then…
Instead, the government has opted to pour money
into new house-building schemes.
Tackling homelessness by bringing to use empty homes
The 16th of October marks the beginning of Empty Homes week
2017. Throughout the week local housing providers, community-led
organisations and authorities will be holding events to raise awareness
of empty homes across the UK. It is an opportunity to promote the
work that is currently being done to tackle empty homes as well as a
chance to review the successes of previous campaigns and reflect on
what more can be done to bring empty properties back into use.
Whilst there is clearly a need for new homes, ignoring
the potential of existing empty homes in meeting
housing supply is a costly and environmental
mistake. This is because there is 1.4million surplus
of housing in England, with nearly 15% of which
are empty homes. There is also a shortage of
affordable housing. It would thus be sensible for the
government and local authorities to bringing empty
home back into use other than seeking to build new
homes.
Earlier this year, following the release of figures
on empty homes, Teresa May launched major
government initiative actively encouraging new
house builds. Oxford economics expert Ian Mulheirn
predicts that this will do little to aid the housing crisis.
He believes house prices can only be lowered if and
when mortgage interest rates begin to rise. He says
relatively cheap and easy access to credit combined
with increased income in middle-class families
led to house prices being driven upwards. Muleirn
thinks building more homes won’t create affordable
housing, but will instead add to the existing surplus
of homes given that evidence seems to suggest there
are enough houses.
WHAT IS BEING DONE BY THE GOVERNMENT AND
LOCAL AUTHORITIES?
The government has taken several steps to attempt
to bring empty homes back into use over the past
seven years. Between 2010 – 2015, a commitment to
exploring a range of measures to bring empty homes
back into use and the measures adopted included:
• New homes bonus: Local authorities earn the
same financial reward for bringing an empty home
back into use as they would a new building. Since
April 2011 almost £3.4 billion has been paid in
recognition of the delivery of over 700,000 homes,
plus over 100,000 long-term empty properties
brought back into use.
• Changes to the Local Government Act 1992: Local
authorities could charge up to 150% council tax for
homes that have been empty for over 2 years