Dismay over Government's 'u-turn' on empty homes » Housing » 24dash.com

The Empty Homes Agency (EHA) has reacted with dismay to the Government's announcement yesterday that it will not, after all, reward councils for taking action to bring empty property back into use.

The EHA is highly critical of the Government's decision to reward councils for allowing new housing building but not bringing empty homes into use. 

David Ireland, the EHA's Chief Executive, said: "Given the Government's continued obsession with new house building this is depressingly predictable - but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.

"In October last year the Government announced the proposals by describing the purpose of the grant was "to deliver more affordable housing by bringing empty homes back into use and giving more cash to communities who are building more homes".

"57% of responses to their consultation supported that, and only 17% were against.  But now they've decided not to bother and just reward councils for giving planning permission for new housing developments instead.

"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, yet they have turned their back on an important way they could have helped.

"In a market where thousands of newly built homes are being left empty, encouraging more speculative housing development at the expense of making use of empty property seems completely out of step with what the country needs."