January

2007
THE EMPTY HOMES AGENCY
Monthly News Bulletin

Empty Homes Agency, 195 – 197 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NE
Tel: 020 7828 6288 Email: shashi@emptyhomes.com
Statements in this newsletter are for guidance only and the Empty Homes Agency will not accept
liability for losses resulting from reliance on them. Professional advice should always be obtained.
Table of Contents

1 A Word….
2 Empty Homes Agency To Match Homeless To Homes
3 Low Demand Project Update
4 Events: Hard To Let Sheltered Housing
5 Resources
E M P T Y H O M E S A G E N C Y

1
A Word…

As we draw to the end of another year I thought it would be good to look back
on what happened to the issue of empty homes in 2006. It was a fascinating
and hugely important year, one where our issue became more talked about
then ever before:

The year started with good news. The government announced in its response
to the Barker review that it would consider empty homes brought back into
use as a form of housing supply. You might think it was stating the bleeding
obvious, but this was the first time it had been formally stated by Government.

The main event of the year proved to be the commencement of Empty

Dwelling Management Orders. They had been on the statute book for 18
months but implementation of the Housing Act was behind schedule. The
legislation was officially commenced in April, but nobody noticed. It was only
when the official government guidance came out in July that the public and
the media paid attention. “Now They Can Steal Our Homes” “The Ultimate
Outrage by a British Government” screamed the Daily Express. Other papers
followed, and for perhaps the first time ever the issue of empty homes was
literally front-page news.

In Liverpool a local campaign group successfully used a PROD (public order

requesting disposal), the first to successfully do so in years. A PROD enables
the public to request that the government force the sale of publicly owned
empty properties and land. In fact it turned out that, up until that point, since
1997 the government had received only 14 PROD requests. All of which had
been turned down. The BBC were very interested in what was going on and
the Radio 4 programme “You and Yours” ran a two week feature on PRODs
and encouraged its listeners to use them to mark the BBC’s “no Home”
season.

Manchester City council pledged it would be the first to use the new EDMO
powers. Fifteen times they started using the procedure but every time the
owner either let or sold the property. EDMOs it seems were working but not in
the way the Daily Express had predicted. In fact Manchester were to be
beaten to the post by South Oxfordshire District Council who became the first
council to formally apply for an interim EDMO in November.

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2
So huge progress, the empty homes issue is more talked about, higher profile
and potentially more controversial. But as the year came to a close the latest
empty homes figures were released by government, showing barely any
change and in fact a small rise in the number of publicly owned empty homes.
It was a stark reminder of what still needs to be done. If 2006 was the year
the year when everybody talked about empty homes. I think we should pledge
that 2007 will be the year when the real action of reducing the numbers of
empty homes begins.

I’d like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and hope you have a
successful and action packed 2007.

David Ireland
Empty Homes Agency
Tel: 020 7963 6884
Email: david.ireland@emptyhomes.com

Empty Homes
A g e n c y To M a t c h
H o m e l e s s To H o m e s
In a bid to help tackle the capital’s homeless crisis the Empty Homes Agency is launching
an urgent appeal aimed at the public, especially landlords, to contact it’s Helpline (0870
901 6303, a local rate number) or website www.emptyhomes.com with details of any
empty and wasted property as well as properties available to let. The Agency matches
ready-to-let properties across London with social housing schemes working with people in
housing need. The initiative can benefit everyone involved. There is currently a need for
all types of properties from studio flats up to larger units suitable for families. Owners of
any reported empty properties will be contacted and given details of grants available to do
any required works to bring the property up to a decent standard.

While specific details vary from scheme to scheme Landlords can expect competitive
rental income from what are known as Private Sector Lease (PSL) agreements which are
offered by local authorities, housing associations, night shelters and homelessness

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organisations. While rents can be slightly lower than on the private market PSL
agreements typically include a guarantee that rent will be paid throughout the duration of
the lease which is rarely attainable on the private market. Certain minimum habitable
standards will usaullly apply and an inspection and advice of works needed can be
arranged. Grants are often available to assist with rennovation and repairs. The actual
amount of rent paid is based on a property’s location, size and condition.

PSL agreements can be made for short or long periods and are often renewable. At the
end of the lease, the property will be returned to the landlord in the condition it was in at
the start of the lease, ‘fair wear and tear’ excepting. Damage by occupants exceeding "fair
wear and tear" would usually be the responsibility of the housing scheme involved which
will have assigned a housing officer for each property to oversee it’s management and
ensure any tenancy is progressing peacefully. This person is contactable by the landlord
at any time. Under most agreements landlords are not responsible for any interior
redecorating over the course of the lease although they may be responsible for structural
works.

Specific information about PSL arrangements offered by each of the London boroughs
and other organisations can be found on the Empty Homes Agency website:
http://www.emptyhomes.com/help_you/projects/rleh/epg_info.html

London boroughs offer PSL as part of their Housing and Homelessness Strategies. Not
only is homelessness very topical at present because it is still happening but there is less
social housing than ever to tackle the problem. The demand far exceeds the supply. This
means that it will take a considerable amount of time before homeless families are
housed on a permanent basis. While the Mayor has approved higher targets for
affordable housing schemes London needs, at least in the short term, more private
housing to be made available for social housing. PSL provides temporary
accommodation until permanent solutions can be found.

Once any landlords have decided that they are interested in Private Sector Leasing
they should contact the Empty Homes Agency which will advise on the various
options available. The Agency welcomes any questions or queries concerning either
Grants or Private Sector Leasing and will do it’s best to match properties with
interested schemes.

For further information please contact

Desmond Kilroy
Tel: 002 7963 6886/7
Fax: 002 7828 7006
Email: desmond.kilroy@emptyhomes.com

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3
Low Demand Project Update:
Low Demand From The Not
So Frozen North
Well, it finally seems as though the wheel of change is finally turning. The Low
Demand Project is in it's final year and things are really beginning to happen for the
better all across the country!

We have seen the CPO in Edge Lane, Liverpool quashed by a High Court Judge
and Liverpool Council and it's partners have been asked to come up with an alternative
'Plan B' which Elizabeth Pascoe and her team is currently working on.

Friends of Newsham Park have 'served' a PROD on Liverpool City Council asking them
to bring several empty properties scattered around the boundary of Newsham Park back
in to use and Ruth Kelly has given them 12 months to come up with solutions to get the
empties filled.

As a result of the EHA's high profile on dealing with Community Groups, I have been
contacted by three new groups in the north, whose homes are under threat of demolition.

They are at Beswick and Openshaw in Manchester (Communities for Stability), Gresham
in Middlesbrough (Communities Under Threat) and Granby Street Residents in Toxteth,
Liverpool.

I have met with all the above groups and advised them initially on how to set up the
group to be effective and how to move forwards with their problems.

To date, the results are very encouraging and they and myself are all looking forward to
making some positive, rapid progress in 2007.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish every one of our readers a Merry Christmas
and a Very Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.

For further information please contact

John Earnshaw
Low Demand Project Manager
Empty Homes Agency
Tel: 01226 390093
Email: john.earnshaw@emptyhomes.com

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5
4
Events:

Hard To Let Sheltered

Housing – 14th March 2007 –
Central London

Book your place today to find out:

 why sheltered housing has to change

 what prospective residents are looking for and why they aren’t finding it
 where to look for new client groups
 how older schemes can be successfully
 remodelled and refurbished
 when it is appropriate to widen
 allocation criteria
 how to market empty homes effectively

Or for further information please click below:

http://www.emptyhomes.com/news/event/events.html

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
For more info please look at our website:
http://www.emptyhomes.com/eventspages/events.htm

Resour ces

Updated Resources: Empty Property Grant Information

Empty Property Grants are administered by each local authority. There are usually conditions
attached to this type of grant such as making the property available for social housing for a
fixed period.