I often criticise the City Council on this website but I think it only right to point out when I think they deserve a bit of praise. This article in today’s Derby Evening Telegraph shows that they do understand the problem with housing in our City and they are doing something about it. A long way to go yet but a decent start. On behalf of all those looking for a roof over their heads – thank you.
£3m of empty housing is now back in use
Derby City Council has helped return £3m of housing back into use in the past five years.
It has invested £450,000 in so-called empty homes assistance loans, which help owners restore properties not being lived in to get them back into use.
There are around 4,000 empty homes in the city, making up around 4% of the housing stock. Of those empty homes, 2,000 have been vacant for six months or more.
The authority has been working to reduce that number because empty homes can attract crime and antisocial behaviour and contribute to areas becoming run-down. In the past year, the authority’s empty homes service has also written to the owners of more than 400 empty properties.
Of those, 70 are now back in occupation.
The council is also close to buying six empty properties to bring them back into use.
In October 2008, the authority successfully used compulsory purchase orders to buy six run-down homes in Leopold Street and Arboretum Square.
A spokesman said: “The council is now well on the way towards ensuring that the properties soon pass on to responsible ownership.”
