BRE and homeless charity All People All Places are seeking partners to join their Empty Homes Nationwide initiative, which aims to help tackle the empty homes crisis by bringing up to 100,000 homes back into use over the next 10 years or so.
The Empty Homes Nationwide initiative has secured funding for a pilot to refurbish 300 empty homes by April 2014. If the pilot is successful, the scheme will aim to bring thousands of dwellings back into use every year.
‘Empty homes is a big problem that needs a big solution and we want to provide housing for those who need it the most,’ James Fisher, BRE’s head of sustainable communities and initiative lead told Building4Change. ‘We know we’ve set ourselves an ambitious target but we believe that a bold approach will reap the biggest rewards.
According to the Homes and Communities Agency, empty homes in England account for three per cent of the total housing stock, with tax data collected by local authorities showing there were 734,000 vacant dwellings at the end of September 2010, 301,000 in the private sector.
The initiative will not only help tackle the current shortage of housing but also help regenerate communities and provide training and work experience opportunities.
Empty Homes Nationwide is now seeking partners from local authorities, housing associations and private landlords to bring their properties back into use.
Learn more and become a partner at: LINK
BRE News: LINK
