About Magazine Issue 15

Getting Empty Homes back into Use

There are a massive 2,999 empty homes in Hastings & St Leonards, and over half of them have not been lived in for 6 months or more.

Bringing them back into use has advantages for everyone:

• It can enhance an area
• It discourages crime and vandalism
• More residents in an area means better local facilities, including shops, transport and health facilities

There are more advantages than just this. If we can bring empty homes back into use they could be used to re- home individuals and families in the town - there are currently around 154 homeless and another 1,777 on the housing register who are waiting for suitable accommodation.

It would also mean less building on greenfield sites, because there would be less demand for new homes.

The Empty Homes Strategy, launched last year, is a scheme which offers landlords and property owners the chance to get grants of up to 50% to renovate their empty properties. For example, if a flat would cost £30,000 to make it habitable, the owner could be eligible for a grant of £15,000.

The catch? There is none, except that property owners will not be able to sell their homes for five years, following the completion of the work. And if the owner wants to find a tenant, they must make the property available through a housing association or for social housing.

Councillor John Humphries, Cabinet Member responsible for Housing, said:

"Empty properties are wasted homes. Bringing them back into use will provide housing options for single people, key workers and childless couples as well as helping us to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation for homeless families."

"Every home brought back into use becomes a property which becomes subject to full Council Tax and therefore will help meet the cost of public services."

"Landlords will be guaranteed a rent for a definite 42 weeks per year, even if tenants only stay for 6 months. We have funding for the next two years for this project and it could make a real difference to housing options in terms of buildings, revitalising areas and using what we have got will cut down on how many homes have to be built."

For more information or to report an empty property, please contact Empty Homes Officer on 781341, FREEPHONE 0800 0858967 or e-mail emptyhomes@hastings.gov.uk

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