industry news Number of empty homes at record low
The number of empty homes is at its lowest level since records began according to official figures. The Government’s latest housing statistics
bulletin from DCLG reported that the number of empty homes has fallen by a third from 318,642 in 2004 to 203,596 in 2015. The fall in the past 12 months was 2,225, a more modest reduction of 1.1 per cent. However, these figures relate to long-term
empty properties and the figure for all empty homes is a much higher number at 600,179 – although this also represents a fall of almost 10,000 from October 2014. The figures show a growth in house numbers across all sectors except for the number of
council homes: • There were 23.5 million dwellings in England at 31 March 2015, an increase of 171,000 dwellings (0.73 per cent) on the same point the previous year.
• 14.7 million dwellings were owner occupied dwellings, 4.7 million private rented dwellings and 4.0 million social and affordable rented dwellings (Private Registered Providers plus Local Authority).
• Between March 2014 and March 2015, the private rented dwelling stock increased by 125,000 and the owner occupied stock increased by 37,000. The social and affordable rented stock increased by 19,000 dwellings
and the other public sector stock decreased by 9,000 dwellings.
The number of owner-occupied homes has increased after seven years of decline, starting in 2007, while the private rented stock has doubled from 10.1 per cent in 2001 to 20.2 per cent in 2015.
Best use
Welcoming the figures Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We are turning around the housing market and making sure the best use is made of all housing including empty homes. We are very clear that a house should be a home which is why we have taken action to stop homes being bought up and left as an empty investment.” He highlighted various actions being taken to
address empty homes, including: • Rewarding councils for bringing empty homes back in to use through the New Homes Bonus – since April 2011, councils have been allocated over £4.846 billion for providing new homes;
• Providing over 704,000 additional homes, bringing over 106,000 empty homes will be back into use and providing 271,000 affordable homes;
• Giving councils the power to increase Council Tax on empty properties;
• Introducing charges on certain ownership to prevent residential property being held through companies left empty; and
• Ensuring Capital Gains Tax is due on gains made by foreign owners who sell residential property here in the UK (much of which is left empty); this means the same rules apply to residents and non-residents.
Councils call on Government to do more to tackle affordable housing
A report on housing need in the UK published by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) calls for urgent Government action to deliver the homes needed in the UK. In Homes for all: Ensuring councils can
deliver the homes we need, 72 per cent of councils think that the viability test laid out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has hindered their ability to build social and affordable housing. 11 per cent of councils think that the viability test will provide the numbers that we need to tackle the biggest housing crisis of a generation – an
increase of 19 per cent compared to a year ago.
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the TCPA
said: “With 96 per cent of councils describing their need for affordable homes as severe or moderate, and 89 per cent worried that the extension of Right to Buy will lead to less affordable homes, it is clear that there is a real crisis. “Councils are concerned that government
policy is not enabling them to deliver genuinely affordable housing - we need to have a housing strategy that provides affordable homes to all people.” The report sets out recommendations to
tackle the challenges of providing the necessary housing - 96 per cent described their need for affordable housing as severe or moderate, and 87 per cent of respondents did not think that
starter homes will address the problem of affordability. It is recommended that the government puts in place a housing strategy that provides decent homes for everyone in society. The report also recommends that councils are
not forced to sell-off their social housing to fund the extension of Right to Buy – 9 out of 10 councils are worried that the extension of Right to Buy will lead to less housing available for social rent. The report also showcases innovation in local
government, including effective new models of housing delivery, and the report calls for the government to give back control to local authorities over their investment plans, rents and assets.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM May 2016 | 19
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