People and communities
Council to bring empty homes back into use for homeless people in Walsall
Published on
Homeless families in Walsall who are in need of temporary accommodation will receive keys to 5 long-term empty properties that the council has brought back into use.
4 of the homes have been empty for over 10 years and following repeated attempts to encourage the owners to bring them back into use, the council successfully applied for Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO).
Empty dwellings can be a point of contention in local neighbourhoods and can typically attract neighbourhood complaints about matters such as accumulations of rubbish, rodent infestations, overgrown gardens and unsecured premises (attracting anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, drug taking and arson).
They also take away the opportunity for local people to access a secure and stable home.
By bringing these homes back into use, the council will improve the lives of local residents and communities, by providing decent accommodation for vulnerable households who find themselves homeless or in need.
Walsall has 966 homes that have been empty for over 6 months, which is a reduction of 20% compared with 2022.
The council uses range of means to try to bring empty homes back into use, including negotiation with private owners and enforcement action where appropriate. Where negotiations remain unsuccessful, the council will take the final step of applying for a CPO.
In addition, the council uses Council Tax powers to its full extent. This means that dwellings unoccupied and unfurnished for more than 2 years (and not exempt) are subject to double the normal rate of council tax; those empty for more than 5 years, are subject to 3 times the normal rate and if a property has been empty for more than 10 years, then it will be subject to 4 times the normal rate of council tax. From April 2024 the doubling of the council tax will start after a dwelling has been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than 1 year.
“ Whilst homes continue to be in short supply, this council is taking action.
I’m really pleased to report that over the last year we’ve seen the number of long term empty homes decreasing, but we want to do more.
These homes are not only needed to house our Walsall families, but whilst they are empty, they continue to be a blight on our communities. We are constantly working with owners to try and bring properties back into use through negotiation, and financial measures such as increased council tax, but ultimately if required we will continue to use compulsory purchase powers, and the council continuously monitors properties that may need to enter this phase.
Bringing long term empty dwellings back into use is part of our plan to increase the supply of housing in Walsall and improve community environments. This is alongside our work with partners to achieve this with our Willenhall framework proposals, and Bloxwich and Darlaston Town Deal plans.
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