Latest news
January 8, 2012
The Empty Homes Network consultation response on Council Tax reforms suggested that to avoid tax avoidance the council tax regime for second homes should be brought into line with that for other unoccupied homes. We're pleased to see that Tim Farron, MP…
Latest news
January 8, 2012
A story in the Guardian newspaper shows that politically-motivated squatters are not necessarily deterred by whether or not squatting is a crime. Squatters in the Republic of Ireland, associated with the Occupy movement, are challenging the waste of empty…
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December 31, 2011
I thought it would be helpful to EHN members provide an update on the DCLG's Community Grants Programme, before the Programme gets underway in the New Year. To recap, the great thing about the The Community Grants Programme is that it will be accessible…
Latest news
December 20, 2011
The Empty Homes Network has now published its draft response to the government's proposed changes to Council Tax discounts and exemptions for empty homes, for discussion by its members. Members can contribute to the discussion by logging in and posting…
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December 18, 2011
A fair number of our practitioners have been happy to get referrals of empty homes via the Great British Property Scandal web-page and appreciate the way the campaign has raised the profile of empty homes generally. Although most members of the public will…
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December 15, 2011
Hot on the heels of one House of Commons Adjournment Debate on empty homes, comes a second, this time secured by Graham Jones, Labour MP for Hyndburn, on the 13th December. Again Andrew Stunell answered questions . The full text of the exchanges can be found…
Latest news
December 8, 2011
To make the Empty Homes Network an even richer experience for its Members, we're going to reward Members who post the most useful contributions to the web-site - a bit like a "Letter of the Month" or "Star Letter". You can win up to…
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December 3, 2011
There was an Adjournment debate on empty homes in the House of Commons on 29th November. The Adjournment Debate was secured by Jason McCartney, Conservative member for Colne Valley, reminding us that empty homes is an issue that straddles the political…
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November 23, 2011
This is a long-range announcement - call it a pre-announcement if yoiu like - that EHN will be holding its next Annual Conference in May 2012. After brief discussions with the charity Empty Homes, with whom we jointly organised the very successful 2011 Home…
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November 21, 2011
It's been a long time coming - but it's finally arrived: the government's first national Empty Homes Strategy. Except it isn't: it's actually a short chapter in a much bigger Housing Strategy (Laying the Foundations: A Housing…
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November 21, 2011
The HCA has published its long-awaited Bidding Guidance for its part of the £100million empty homes programme. Whilst the flexibilities offered may not go as far as some would have liked, the HCA is to be credited with listening to many of f the points that…
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November 21, 2011
The Department for Business Information and Skills has just released its formal response on the Consumer Credit element of the long-running (not to say interminable) Consumer Credit and Personal Insolvency Review. This includes the comment that its formal…
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November 10, 2011
David Ireland, Chief Executive of the charity Empty Homes, has laid into the rules that prevent housing associations and others accessing the HCA's much-vaunted GIS mapping of empty homes describing the rules as "nonsensical bureaucratic rules that…
Latest news
November 3, 2011
Eric Pickles announced a consultation on Monday on proposals to change the council tax discount and exemption regime to make it less friendly to owners of empty homes. This is a welcome announcement and one that reflects the Empty Home Network view that such…
