Tackling empty homes is one of the Coalition Government's policy priorities. Empty homes in England account for 3% of the total housing stock. According to Council Tax Data collected by local authorities, there were 784,000 vacant dwellings at the end of September 2009. Out of those, 307,000 are in the private sector, which accounts for 1.6% of all private sector stock. According to Communities and Local Government (CLG) data, over half of empty homes are still empty after two years and in many cases ten years.
Which is why empty homes is a key part of the HCA's approach to housing and regeneration and we're making a significant capital contribution to tackling the problem.
As part of the local investment planning process, we continue to work with local authorities and partners to support the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies to maximise the use of empty homes.
National Affordable Housing Programme
We have already invested almost £19m from the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) to bring back into use over 550 homes.
And we have invested National Affordable Housing Programme funding to proactively deal with empty homes through the National Clearing House (NCH) scheme. In May 2008 we made available £350m for registered providers to bid for grant funding to acquire standing developer stock. This resulted in 9600 empty homes, mainly flats, being acquired for social rent or shared ownership.
Places of Change programme
The Places of Change programme, along with funding from the NAHP, private finance and other match funding sources, has enabled 8 empty properties to be brought back into use by homelessness services. As well as providing accommodation, schemes also include training, education, social enterprise and employment opportunities for the homeless people and their local communities.
Empty Homes Capacity Building Programme
In April this year, we set out a delivery framework for the Empty Homes Capacity Building Programme (CBP). The programme was established following the allocation of £1m from the Communities and Local Government Department (CLG) to provide extra support for 17 local authorities¹ to drive efforts to get more empty homes back into use.
And we've invested an additional £130,000 to build capacity in a further 60 local authorities².
The year-long programme will deliver bespoke skills, knowledge support and training for 17 local authorities, and a one-day training programme for 60 local authorities.
We will also produce:
An E-learning module
An empty homes toolkit
GIS mapping of long-term empty homes
These tools will be part of the legacy of the CBP and will be available to internal and external stakeholders.
On-line debate
As part of the programme we're hosting an on-line debate - How to Maximise the Use of Empty Homes? The debate runs until 31 August and will explore new ways to help bring more private sector homes back into use in the current economic climate. It will also address the key challenges that local authorities face, highlight innovative practice and generate practical solutions.
To voice your opinion, visit Debate Place
For more information on empty homes please contact Gera Drymer at gera.drymer@hca.gsx.gov.uk
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