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Wolverhampton Council brings 1,000 properties back into use (2 November 2015)

Date: 02/11/2015
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, Wolverhampton Council brings 1,000 properties back into use

Wolverhampton Council has brought more than 1,000 homes back into use in its Empty Property Strategy, launched in 2010.

The council says hundreds of properties in Wolverhampton which stood empty for years have now been transformed into family homes.

The Empty Property Strategy has also seen more than 1,000 privately owned houses which had been left unoccupied – often in poor condition – brought back into use in the last five years.

The council aims to ensure that, rather than the properties becoming a blight on their neighbourhood, they are either sold to new homeowners or rented out to tenants.

Specialist Housing Improvement Officers from the council's Private Sector Housing Team have worked with the owners of properties left empty for a long period of time, to encourage and support them to carry out any required works and get them occupied again.

If necessary – and as a last resort – the authority can use enforcement action to ensure this work takes place.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets, Councillor Peter Bilson, said:

“Not only is it providing more affordable housing to people in Wolverhampton, but it is also improving the city and helping boost the local economy.

“The properties we have become involved with have often stood empty for many years and – as a result – the condition of them has often deteriorated dramatically.

“This strategy is helping to put these houses back on the market – either to sell or rent – and this in turn is having a positive effect in the areas they are in.

“In addition, it means landlords are once again seeing rental income come in, the value of their properties is increasing – and local shops and services are benefiting from new residents occupying the houses, providing a significant boost to the economy.

“This is the equivalent of us building hundreds of new houses across the city –
and we will continue to focus our efforts on empty houses in Wolverhampton.”

The strategy links in with the council's wider commitment to enhance the private rented sector in the city.

Other initiatives include the Private Sector Leasing Scheme – a property management service run in association with Wolverhampton Homes, which can guarantee owners of empty properties rental income for three years.

The Wolverhampton Home Improvement Scheme also offers grants, financial assistance and a handyman service to homeowners aged over 60, who are on income-related benefits or are registered disabled.

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