Our work here is not done

Your work is over – what more is there for you to do? That was the piercing comment put to me by a journalist just before Christmas. What with the new powers on empty homes in the updated Housing Act, and the number of empty homes going down by 30,000, 2004 had finished very well for anyone concerned about the waste of empty homes.

But, with still just under 700,000 empty homes in England, there are plenty of challenges ahead for the Empty Homes Agency. Having secured new enforcement powers on empty homes, we need to ensure that there are voluntary schemes in place nationwide to work with owners in bringing homes back into use.

The new act has meant an increasing number of local authorities are reviewing their empty property strategies and many housing scrutiny committees are taking a real interest in this area. Yet there are still some councils and regions not giving this enough priority focus – we need to challenge this.

Across the country there are some great examples of registered social landlords working in partnership with local authorities on private empty homes.

We are running a major conference for RSLs in April reflecting on such good practice. The fact that this conference has got the support of the ODPM, the National Housing Federation and the Housing Corporation shows how much top-level support is being directed to this issue. But why are only a minority of RSLs interested in playing such a role?

Another key theme will be the importance of collaboration and cooperation – it is hard, in isolation, to bring empty homes back into use.

And there are some great examples emerging of new forms of collaboration.

Kent county council has prioritised empty homes, working in partnership with the district and borough councils of Dover, Shepway, Swale and Thanet. This is a very progressive view from a council with no direct powers on housing, but that recognises the wider benefits to communities of tackling empty homes. And there are clear benefits to economies of scale such a partnership produces. So surely we need to see other examples of counties taking such a lead?

The Government Office for the East of England has also started some interesting collaborative work with local housing authorities and is planning an event in March for all the councils. Again, we will be working to see that all regions take such a proactive approach.

While the figures for empty homes in the public sector are looking better, it is vitally important that the public sector is seen to have its own house in order. To this effect, we will continue to campaign in support of the ODPM’s select committee recommendation in 2002 of an annual report on the state of empty homes in this sector. Why has this sensible suggestion remained ignored for so long?

And I haven’t even yet broached low demand – which could be another article in itself. Our low demand project, based in Barnsley in Yorkshire, is now into its second year and we have been astonished at the level of interest it has generated, especially in non-pathfinder areas. And while there is a place for demolition, we shall be working hard to ensure it does not become the default solution on this issue.

So my journalist colleague was way off the mark – 2004 was a good year but much more needs to be done. There is now both momentum and interest in empty homes – our goal is to convert that into real action to bring more empty homes back into use.