Move to fill empty homes approved

A major effort is to be made to reduce the number of empty homes in the St Albans District from the current 358 figure.
A new housing officer dedicated to the task of bringing vacant houses back into use is to be appointed by St Albans City and District Council.
The employee will be given the “achievable” target of filling at least 29 empty homes a year.
Members of the Council’s Cabinet agreed to create the new post at its monthly meeting last night, Thursday 22 June.
The number of vacant houses in both the public and private sector in the District rose last year by 75 from 172 to 247, the highest total since 2013.
By this month, the figure had risen by a further 111 to reach 358 with 67 of the homes having stood vacant for more than two years.
One of the effects of the rise has been a consequent decrease in the New Homes Bonus paid by the Government to Councils across the country.
This grant is partly dependent on the number of long-term empty homes a local authority has brought back into use. The amount given to St Albans was reduced by £92,590 last year.
The new officer will be appointed for 18 months and will be tasked with monitoring the number of vacant homes and working with the owners in an attempt to fill them.
It is estimated that the financial benefit to the Council for each empty property brought back into use is around £1,223 per year.
For the new post to pay for itself, around 29 homes a year will need to be brought back into use.
Councillor Brian Ellis, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “In recent years our focus has been on dealing with an increase in homelessness and we have been successful in doing that.
“During this time, the number of empty homes in the District has crept up and we realise we now need to make additional resources available to reduce that figure.
“The number of empty homes is small compared to the 60,000 homes that there are in the District, but it is unacceptable when there is such a high demand for housing in the area.
“Bringing properties back into use will help to ease the pressure on housing in our District and increase our revenues from the New Homes Bonus.
“Our target of bringing at least 29 homes a year back into use is achievable and will mean that the new job will also pay for itself.”
Councillor contact:
Councillor Brian Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Housing for St Albans City and District Council.
Email: Cllr.B.Ellis@stalbans.gov.uk
Tel: 01727-866100
Councillor contact:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council.
E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk
Tel: 01727 296130