Stratford District supporting Empty Homes Week, 26 Nov – 2 Dec

National Empty Homes Week is an initiative by the Empty Homes Agency - an independent campaigning charity aiming to raise awareness of the potential of empty homes to meet housing need as well as devise and promote sustainable solutions that will bring empty homes back into use.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is supporting National Empty Homes Week and reminding empty home owners that there are a range of options and free advice available from the District Council to help them return their properties to use. 

As part of National Empty Homes Week a newsletter will be sent to the District's 500 empty home owners (empty for longer than 6 months) highlighting a number of initiatives in place that can help them get their properties reoccupied from grants to free advice.

Working in partnership with empty home owners and local businesses, the District Council has helped to turn four empty properties into seven homes with rent set at Social Housing rates for local people in Stratford, Studley and Southam this year. The Council's Empty Homes Assistance Grant scheme, managed by its Empty Homes team, has proved the essential catalyst that has made this possible.

In return for a contribution towards renovations, owners have agreed to rent their properties to local people, who are nominated through the District Council's Home Choice Plus housing scheme, for a period of time. Not only is this work reducing the number of empty properties in the District, but by targeting the market towns, it is providing affordable homes where the need for affordable housing is most concentrated.

Councillor Maurice Howse: Enterprise, Housing & Revenues Portfolio Holder says: “We have made a good start on this project as empty homes can be expensive for owners with costs including maintenance, security and insurance.  The newsletter will hopefully raise awareness and with more owners coming forward for our help in this valuable work. With well over 100 people bidding for some properties on the Home Choice Plus system, there is clearly a need to make the best possible use of the houses we already have so we can reduce the demand to build more."

For further information and advice please contact the District Council's Empty Homes team on 01789 260866 or email psht@stratford-dc.gov.uk. 

National Empty Homes Week runs from 26 November to 2 December 2012.