Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision:

Making best use of existing homes is a key objective in the Council’s Housing Strategy. The Council has a strong commitment to bringing long-term empty homes back into use.

The aims of the Empty Homes Policy are to review existing options and introduce measures that will:

       I.      Return long-term empty homes back into use.

    II.      Make positive improvements to housing conditions and to the environment.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

The Executive Councillor for Housing resolved to:

Approve the policy document as detailed in Annex A of the Officer’s report, Empty Homes Policy 2012.

Reason for the Decision:

There is a shortage of residential accommodation available in the City in particular a shortage of family accommodation available to buy or rent. Each empty home denies a household somewhere to live and returning empty homes to use has social, environmental and financial benefits.

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

The Council recognises that there are different options available to owners of empty homes to bring them back into use. The Council will initially work informally with owners to re-use homes however formal enforcement options are available when the informal approach fails.

Scrutiny Considerations:

The committee received a report from the Team Leader of Private Sector Housing regarding the Empty Homes policy.

The committee made the following comments in response to the report.

             I.      Concern was expressed about the resources needed to work with up to 80 property owners at any one time.

          II.      Identifying empty homes when full council tax was being paid and the property was furnished would be difficult.

       III.      Members had concerns about the differences between owners who were unable, rather than unwilling, to return a property to use.

      IV.      The policy appeared to be resource intensive and members questioned it’s value for money. The Officer confirmed that there was no dedicated officer and that decisions would have to be taken regarding priorities. However, some quick wins were expected.

         V.      Members questioned what happened to any properties that were acquired using this policy and the officer confirmed that they were usually sold on as quickly as possible to enable them to be brought back into use.

      VI.      Members requested further information from the Legal Department regarding any profits made from the resale of properties.

The Scrutiny Committee considered and endorsed the recommendations in the report by 6 votes to 0.

The Executive Councillor for Housing approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

N/A