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.