Urgent - CLG Empty Homes Strategy & the HCA Millions

CLG are drafting a Govt. National Empty Homes Strategy. Their current capacity means that they can only carry out a light touch consultation. We can help them. Please see the points below and offer solutions and ideas to Sally Turner at CLG by Thursday 7th July on Sally.Turner@communities.gsi.gov.uk PLEASE HELP CLG TO WORK UP SOMETHING USEFUL TO YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITIES. Their Draft Strategic objectives

• Ensure there is an appropriate package of measures* which tackle the current problem of empty homes therefore reducing blight and increasing housing supply
• Put the necessary levers and incentives in place so that, long term, when homes do become empty they are brought them back into productive use quickly and at minimum cost to the public sector.
• Raise the profile the value of bringing empty home back into productive use as part of the Big Society agenda

We want to:

• Ensure LAs have the skills, knowledge, incentives and levers they need to work with property owners and local communities to bring empty homes back into use.
• Ensure other organisations, e.g. Registered Social Housing Providers, have appropriate support, if needed.
• If possible, enable smaller organisations and housing associations to trial new & innovative ways of tackling empty homes

THEIR QUESTIONS Q1. Are the Objectives right? Q2. Will the measures deliver the objectives? *Measures include New Homes Bonus, On-line Toolkits, HCA enabling (resource dependent), EDMOS & other enforcement levers, £100 million Empty Homes Programme. Q3. Should we include any other objectives, measures, partners, etc? Q4. What should be the legacy from the Strategy? How will we know it has worked and will continue working? Your solutions and ideas are also sought on the HCA £100m How are interested parties going to make the HCA Programme work, espec: Q5. How are bidders going to go about delivering empty homes back into use at an afford rent? Q6. How are they going to tackle payment on completion? Q7. What use are they going to make of sharing of resources / skills and knowledge? Q8. How are they going to go about securing / expanding their revenue funding? (NHB, partnership working with RSLs, LA grants/loans, working in consortia) Q9. What will be the legacy of the £100m? Hs it worked and will it continue to work once the funding ceases in 2015?