18
Jul
Empty Homes Agency "disappointed" at government's decision
The Empty Homes Agency (EHA) has expressed its disappointment at
the government's decision not to reward councils for taking actions
to bring unoccupied properties back into use, as had previously
been considered.
Last year proposals were announced to offer grants in order to
harness empty homes to create affordable housing.
In consultations, 57 per cent of respondents supported this idea,
while 17 per cent were against.
David Ireland, the body's chief executive, noted that the
government's decision is unsurprising as the it is focused on
building new homes, but said "that doesn't make it any less
disappointing".
"Empty properties blight communities and represent a huge waste of
potential homes. By the government's own figures, the problem is
increasing at an alarming rate," he remarked.
Earlier this year the EHA cited official figures which showed that
there are 675,000 empty homes in England, of which 288,000 have
been empty for more than six months.
