Empty Homes (Hansard, 12 November 2001)

§ Ms Keeble

[holding answer 9 November 2001]: From the latest available information it is estimated that there were 763,900 empty residential properties at the beginning of 2000–01. The majority of these are classified as transitional vacancies.

The number of households accepted by local authorities in England under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts as being eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, in the first six months of 2001 was 59,530.

The Government have introduced a number of measures to reduce the number of empty homes including a reduction in VAT and changes to the way local authorities plan for housing. We will consult shortly on 509W proposals to allow local authorities discretion to remove or reduce the 50 per cent. council tax discount for long-term empty homes.

Homeless acceptances represent households in need who are helped by local authorities into accommodation. The provisions of the Homelessness Bill will: require housing authorities to take a more strategic, multi-agency approach to the prevention of homelessness and the re-housing of homeless households; ensure that everyone accepted by housing authorities as unintentionally homeless and in priority need must be provided with suitable accommodation until they obtain a settled housing solution: and allow housing authorities greater flexibility to assist non-priority homeless households, principally through a new power for housing authorities to secure accommodation for such households where they have the scope to do so.

To support these provisions, investment in new affordable housing through the Housing Corporation will rise to over £1.2 billion by 2003–04—about double the current level.

The Government are currently developing a national strategic framework to help prevent and tackle homelessness throughout the country.