£1 million boost to tackle empty homes
February 7, 2010
John Healey announced £1M to fund empty homes work in 17 local authority areas, particularly targeted at anti-social long-term empty properties.
The areas selected were chosen against the following criteria:
- among the 60 local authorities with the highest level of empty homes
- in need of improvement through the red flag CAA process
- willing to do somehing
- ability to provide matched resources
Here are signs of a response to NAEPP's proposals in Creating a National Empty Homes Initiative. The importance of the empty homes champion or co-ordinator is being recognised. Our proposal for match-funding has been taken up. It remains a shame that NAEPP's potential is insufficiently recognised: "The Empty Homes Agency and the Chartered Institute of Housing will work with the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on a programme of targeted consultancy to help develop skills and expertise in the 17 local authorities involved". Possibly we are not expensive enough to warrant support.
