§ Baroness Goldingasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they will publish details of the pilot projects announced in the Sustainable Communities plan to tackle problems associated with private sector landlords in areas of low housing demand. [HL3504]
143WA
§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is allocating £2 million to help tackle private rented sector problems in areas of low housing demand. Up to £180,000 per year for the next two years will be provided to each of five areas: Stoke-on-Trent, Hartlepool, Bolton, and groups of authorities in West Yorkshire and East Lancashire.
The money will help them to test how they can make best use of the full range of existing powers in their areas of special social need, and to gather good practice to support other local authorities with similar problems, pending the Housing Bill's proposed introduction of selective landlord licensing. The authorities in Gateshead and Salford will be working alongside this initiative.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is allocating funds from the £2 million for dissemination purposes, to ensure that lessons learnt are spread to all authorities who wish to benefit.