Lib Dem stance on empty homes welcomed

The Liberal Democrats' manifesto pledge to invest £1.4 billion in bringing thousands of empty homes back into use for people who need them was welcomed by two of the country’s leading housing bodies.

Both the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the National Housing Federation (NHF) greeted the announcement from Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as a positive commitment to addressing housing need while also creating jobs.

The manifesto pledge sets out the party’s plans to bring some 250,000 of England’s 760,000 empty properties into use, creating homes for people who need them, and generating up to 65,000 jobs. The owners of the empty properties will receive a grant or a cheap loan to renovate the properties. If the home is intended for social use, then owner will receive a grant, whilst for private use they will receive a loan.

The plans form part of the economic stimulus package outlined as a core principle of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto. In the first year of the new Parliament, the party says it would redirect over £3.6 billion of spending to create jobs and build up Britain’s infrastructure. In the following years this money would be redirected to other Lib Dem spending priorities and reducing the structural deficit.

“Allowing thousands of houses to sit empty when millions of families have been waiting years for a home is nothing short of a scandal,” Clegg said. “These plans are a clear example of where Liberal Democrat priorities lie: creating jobs and providing more family homes.

“The cost of bringing these homes back into use is just a fraction of the cost of building new ones, yet the Government is sitting idly by while they fall into disrepair. This is one element of our economic stimulus package that will generate jobs and help Britain on its way to building a fair, sustainable economy.”

Welcoming this promise, CIH chief executive Sarah Webb said: "We have campaigned with partners in the housing sector to highlight the scandal of the 760,000 properties in England standing empty, and we are delighted that the Liberal Democrats have incorporated a pledge to tackle this problem in their manifesto, to turn them into new homes and stimulate the economy by creating up to 65,000 new jobs.

"We need national and local government to understand and resource the issues around tackling empty homes. We would urge government to consider whether fiscal measures could help bring empty homes back into use as well as to investigate ways to prevent them falling empty in the first place."

David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, added: "The Liberal Democrats' commitment to addressing the country’s housing crisis is very welcome. Waiting lists for affordable homes have hit record levels, and continue to grow during the recession as repossessions and unemployment further fuel demand. Millions of people are meanwhile living in cramped, overcrowded conditions, with little hope of getting the affordable home they desperately need.

“This policy will help address Britain’s chronic shortage of affordable homes and recognises the social and economic value of continuing to invest in affordable housing. Housing associations would be ready to play a leading role in transforming derelict properties into affordable homes and indeed have a strong track record for successfully bringing empty houses back into use.”

However, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said that the Liberal Democrats have “missed a trick” by failing to address the need to retrofit the UK’s existing housing stock with energy efficiency measures.

“It is very disappointing that the Lib Dems’ housing pledge fails to mention anything about the need to make the UK’s existing 26 million homes greener and more energy efficient,” said the FMB’s director of external affairs, Brian Berry. “The retrofitting of the existing housing stock is a potential new annual market worth between £3.5 and £6.5 billion which could result in the creation of thousands of much needed jobs in the building sector if the right incentives are put in place.

“Lib Dem incentives to bring 250,000 empty homes back into use are welcome but a bigger boost for the entire building sector would have been a proposal to cut VAT for energy efficient improvements to existing homes. Such a measure would help not only kick-start the building industry but help the thousands of people who are currently struggling to pay their energy bills.”