Denbighshire Empty Homes Project

Background

It is estimated that there are nearly one million homes left empty in the UK today. Over 60,000 of these are in Wales, representing 5% of the total number of homes. Denbighshire alone has 800 long-term private sector empty homes.

Changes to the housing market and demand for affordable accommodation have obliged councils to look at these empty homes. When house prices soared affordability became a major issue. With the market slowing developers have stopped building and one of the main sources of affordable housing through the planning system has dried up. Without intervention the number of empty homes is likely to rise as owners struggle to sell and re-possessions will increase.

Project

Denbighshire County Council and North Wales Housing Association have formed an innovate partnership to bring empty homes back into use. The project focuses on long term empty homes which have been unoccupied for more than six months.

The project objectives are to:

• return as many empty homes as possible back into use
• improve the existing built environment
• utilise empty homes for affordable housing
• recover debts owed to the Council by empty home owners

To achieve these goals Denbighshire is offering a range of services.

First, it is offering a complete package of advice and information. For those looking to sell, let or renovate for their own occupation, the Council has collected a range of information leaflets about all aspects of bringing empty homes back into use.

It has also worked with the North Wales Empty Homes Officers Group to develop an on-line resource for empty home owners and people interested in buying an empty home. This will be going "live" during 2010/11.

Secondly, it is offering empty home grants for properties which have been owned for over three years. A grant of up to £10,000 (or 50% of the works) is available for empty home refurbishment where the property is made available for affordable housing for five years.

The property must be managed by a housing association and let to a household on the Council's housing waiting list.

Rents are set at Local Housing Allowance and a 12.5% management fee is payable to the housing association.

The grant is also available to first time buyers with local connection who would otherwise be unable to fund the work or buy an alternative property on the open market.

The Council is also working with housing association to purchase empty homes for affordable housing where funding is available and is strengthening its enforcement activities.

Impact

The project has the potential to transform communities for the better by improve the aesthetic look of an area, providing new affordable housing, helping the homeless and recovering debts.

The scheme's first fully-fledged empty homes grant has taken place in Meliden. The property is a large four bedroom house empty for 16 years. It needed roof repairs, re-wire, central heating, new kitchen and bathroom.

In Llangollen, the project is focusing on a Grade 2 listed, 3-storey town house that has been empty for over 20 years.

It was sold to North Wales Housing for £1 on agreement that a developer be given the refurbishment contract to convert into three self contained apartments for much needed social housing.

Funding was sourced from Wales Assembly Government Social Housing Grant. Works to commenced in June May 2010 and completion is expected in early 2011.

Three long-term empty homes in Rhyl have also been purchased and refurbished by North Wales Housing for resale as low cost homeownership. A 50% share starts at £59,000 (Homebuy model).

Fifty percent funding was made available through the Welsh Assembly Government's North Wales Coast Strategic Regeneration Area and training opportunities were made available to apprentices through Construction Skills Wales. 

Lessons Learned

Denbighshire Council realised that the issue of empty housing impacts far wider than first thought. Empty homes and the problems associated with them are dealt with on a daily basis by many different council departments (Environmental Health, Building Control, Planning, Council Tax etc.) as well as the Police and Fire Service.

Empty homes may attract anti-social behaviour or vermin, they may be dangerous structures or be listed and they may owe debts for unpaid taxes or works completed in default.

Estate agents, lettings agents and private sector landlords also have some involvement. In addition, the community is also centrally involved as empty homes affect the quality of their towns and villages.

In recognition of this Denbighshire Council consulted all of these groups to forge a realistic strategy to tackle the empty homes problem.

Further to this, in order to deal with problematic empty homes where the owner is unwilling to co-operate, Denbighshire Council is developing its enforcement powers.

Enforcement officers from across the Authority meet on a monthly basis to discuss problematic properties and the powers available to tidying them up and ultimately bring them back into use.

Officers are drafting an enforced sale procedure with the aim of recovering debts owed to the Council, prompting action to bring the property back into use through change of ownership and if appropriate sale to an RSL for affordable housing.

Reference

For more information contact:

The Empty Homes Officer
Denbighshire County Council
Housing & Area Renewal
Russell House, Churton Road,
Rhyl, LL18 3DP
Tel:01824 706350
E-mail:wendy.barnsley@denbighshire.gov.uk
Website: http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-7J5BMR