WIREDGOV

On National Housing Day, the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, has welcomed a new report showing a dramatic 99 per cent increase in the annual figure for long-term empty properties turned into much needed homes.

A report released yesterday on the success of Welsh Government’s flagship Houses into Homes scheme shows 2,178 empty homes were brought back into use in 2013/14, a  99 per cent increase on 2012/13, the first year of the scheme and a 112 per cent increase on 2011/12, the year before the scheme started.

This means 4,471 empty properties in Wales have been turned into homes so far during this Assembly term – only just over 500 short of the Welsh Government’s ambitious 5,000 target for the whole term, which runs until May 2016.

The Houses into Homes scheme, which has been supported by £20 million of Welsh Government investment in its first two years, provides interest free loans to owners of properties which have been empty for more than 6 months, to bring the properties back into use for sale or rent.

A total of 230 loans were approved over the first two years of the project. The total value of these loans was over £9.44 million, with £7.4 million worth of loans being approved in 2013/14. 

The Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, who has responsibility for housing, said:

"I am delighted 2013/14 was so positive for our Houses into Homes scheme, building on the good progress made in its first year. The scheme has made a significant contribution to the work of Local Authorities to tackle the problem of empty homes. I applaud the huge effort they have to ensure its success.

"We are now only just over 500 properties away from our target of bringing 5,000 empty properties back into use, with over a year to go. This is incredibly encouraging, but the real benefit is to communities across Wales which now have more homes available.

"These latest figures are a clear marker of our continued commitment to meeting housing need. In doing so, we are improving the appearance of areas affected by the problems caused by empty properties and boosting employment in the construction industry across the whole of Wales."

Cllr Dyfed Edwards (Gwynedd), WLGA Housing Spokesperson said:

"The dramatic increase achieved by local councils in Wales, with 2,027 empty properties having already been brought back into use during 2013-14, is a real success story and it demonstrates local government’s commitment to developing high quality and affordable housing within their communities.

"By making the most of the housing stock we already have at our disposal we can increase the number of houses that are available while also removing many of the problems, such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour that are associated with unoccupied buildings.

"Local councils have been working hard to tackle the problem of empty homes as part of their housing renewal work, and the ‘Houses into Homes’ scheme is adding a much needed financial boost to this work.  The further funding announced within the Welsh Government’s recent draft budget will help to sustain this success."

As the Houses into Homes scheme provides loans and not grants, when repaid, the money will be recycled to provide further assistance to return other empty properties to use. The scheme is therefore potentially self-financing for years to come, maximising the effectiveness of the resources available.

The programme is delivered through Local Authorities and is a model of local, regional and national collaboration, with Local Authorities working together in six regional groups to share resources and expertise.

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