Empty Homes Agency - Call For Public Action On Empty Homes
Empty Homes Agency - Call For Public Action On Empty Homes
Empty Homes Agency - Call For Public Action On Empty Homes
To mark National Empty Homes Week of Action 23rd – 29th November 2008
independent charity The Empty Homes Agency is calling on the public to
report run-down empty homes to help bring them back into use.
“At the very time people need more homes, record numbers are falling empty”
says Chief Executive David Ireland. There are now enough vacant homes in
England to house almost two million people1 yet far more attention is paid to
building new ones. Councils have the power to step in and help, but can’t do
so unless they know where they are and won’t unless they know people care”,
he said.
“If everybody who is affected by this growing problem reported just one empty
home it would provide a huge impetus and send a huge message to
government and councils that action is needed now” said Mr Ireland.
-Ends-
1
The latest data from Dept of Communities and Local Government show 762,635 empty
homes. The average household size in England is 2.4. Vacancy in other parts of the UK are
as follows Scotland 78,000, Northern Ireland 50,000, Wales:50,000
Notes
We believe that action now can reverse the trend and create more homes
partly compensating for the deficit caused by falling house building rates.
• Councils using their powers to help empty property owners get their
homes back into use.
• Making it more cost effective for owners of empty homes to bring them
back into use by reducing the VAT on refurbishment of empty homes to
5% or less for properties empty for more than a year.
2
The FSA said in October 2008 that there had been 11,054 house repossessions in e
previous year up 71% on 2007.
3
Market analysts Jones Lang LaSalle reported in August 2008 the market for flats was
saturated in many British towns and cities.
4
Purchase and repair grants subsidised the cost of buying and repairing run down empty
homes by housing associations. The grants were withdrawn in 2003, subsequently most new
housing association property has been acquired through planning gain - a percentage of new
privately built housing.
year to encourage owners to renovate them, and charging full council
tax thereafter.
Over 2,000 houses lie empty in the Anfield area of Liverpool. Most of the
homes have been acquired by the council and housing associations.1,800 are
due for demolition in order to free up land for new development. In the
housing market downturn there must be real doubt as to whether new
development is likely to take place. Across the nine Housing Market Renewal
Pathfinders 40,000 houses are still due for demolition. Anfield has the highest
concentration of vacant properties anywhere in the country.
Over a thousand flats lie empty in the Ferrier estate in South East London, the
estate is due for demolition, but delays have caused many flats to lie empty
for more than four years. Several shortlife housing companies have offered to
make use of them but have been turned down by the owners Greenwich
Council. As a squatter prevention measure, the council have deliberately
damaged many of the flats to make them uninhabitable.
Despite the bleak outlook for much of Anfield in Liverpool there is a beacon of
hope; In response to demands from residents a whole road of empty homes
(Tancred Street) has been bought up by local developer the Affordable
Housing Development Company. Rather than demolish them they are
carrying out a major refurbishment and remodeling program on the houses. It
started late last year, and in the early summer of 2008 the first house went up
for sale. Disproving the official view that Anfield is an area of low housing
demand all the houses have been sold. For the first time in a generation
people are queuing up to move into Anfield.