New initiatives in tackling empty homes

2. New initiatives in tackling empty homes Kristen Hubert, Empty Homes Coordinator, Scottish Empty Homes Partnership

3. The picture across Scotland • 23,000 long term empty homes • Long term = 6 months or more

7. Q: Why is it empty?

8. Q: Why is it empty? A: It’s got stuck somewhere • reluctance to let out • probate, estate or legal ownership issues • bankruptcy/repossession/abandonment • long term care/hospitalisation • waiting for refurbishment/lack of funds • buy to leave • lack of awareness of options • for sale/let/property chain

9. Q: How do we “un-stick them”?

10. Q: How do we “un-stick them”? • A: Empty Homes Officer • Advice & Information • Negotiation • Incentives • Enforcement

11. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options

12. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options • Matchmaker Schemes

13. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options • Matchmaker Schemes • Loans & Grants

14. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options • Matchmaker Schemes • Loans & Grants • Sweat Equity Starter Pack

15. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options • Matchmaker Schemes • Loans & Grants • Sweat Equity Starter Pack • Facilitating discounts

16. Help for owners through Empty Homes Officers • Advice about selling, renting & renovation options • Matchmaker Schemes • Loans & Grants • Sweat Equity Starter Pack • Facilitating discounts • Motivation, motivation, motivation

17. Compulsory Purchase Orders, Enforced Sales Procedure or Empty Dwelling Management Order CPO ESP Prosecution for non compliance of Notice or undertaking the works in default and using the County Court or Enforced Sales Procedure to recover costs Works in Default or Prosecution After exhausting of voluntary assistance, threat of appropriate enforcement action is raised with owner Statutory Notices under a range of legislation. Owner has right of appeal. Enforcement (Notices Served on Owner) Threat of Enforcement Financial Assistance / Other Assistance (Loans, grants, home improvement agency, private sector leasing) Advice and Guidance (Development advice, tax and vat, reduced fees to sell via auctioneer, guidance on extent of works, guidance on planning, raising finance) No Use Empty Initiative: Achievements by Approach CPO, EDMO & Enforced Sales (3%) Threat of or Actual Enforcement 13% Grants 7% & Interest Free Loans 13% Other (Auctioneer, sale of LA land, PSL) 8% Advice & Guidance 59%

18. 2010 Empty Homes Targets Loans & Grants Empty Homes Officers Empty Homes Strategies

19. 2014 11 Empty Homes Officers 3 Empty Homes Strategies 23 Councils with Empty Homes Targets 188 Homes back in use in 2013/14 (so far!) 21 Councils with Loans or Grants New Council Tax Powers

20. Homes Again Project Shared Services Projects West Dunbartonshire/ Renfrewshire Forth Valley Empty Homes Project North & South Lanarkshire

21. Forth Valley Empty Homes Project Falkirk/Stirling/ Clackmannanshire

22. Forth Valley Empty Homes Project Pilot Year • Started April 2014 • 1 full time officer split between 3 councils • Standing start • By March 2014 – 55 homes back in use

23. Source information on empty homes. (Variety of methods including Council tax data, empty homes survey, neighbours’ knowledge, etc.) Identify priority properties (separate process) Site visits / photos of all priority properties Use survey information to target/develop appropriate support for owners (support options detailed separately) Owner unknown Trace owner: ROS / Grafton Online etc Owner known Letter 1 plus paper survey Reply within 21 days? No Work with the owner to identify key barriers and offer appropriate support. Letter 2 plus paper survey Reply within 14 days? Yes No Agree appropriate action(s) with owner Letter 3 plus final warning Reply within 14 days? Monitor progress via 6-week checks/phone calls/inspections No Working group / decision on whether to take formal action No Satisfactory progress? Yes No action Compulsory purchase: Council retains and restores or sells to restoring purchaser Statutory notice(s) No Yes Owner cooperates? Property remains empty. Property back into use with enforcement Property back into use by owner without enforcement Site visit/photos and complete Record form

26. Moray Street, Doune Empty 4 years • Several months of chasing from the EHO to make contact • Owner intended to move in but didn’t know when • EHO pointed out costs of leaving property empty as well as security concerns • EHO gave information on different ways to rent; potential income & landlord registration • Owner rented the property out to a tenant in January 2014

27. What the process doesn’t show • “The survey, letters and phone calls motivated me to sell the property.” • “The regular contact with the Empty Homes Officer made me feel like I wasn’t alone.” • “ Thank you for all your help and for speaking to my agent for me. I couldn’t have managed without your help and it’s such a relief to have it sold.” • “I wish I had contacted you when the property first became empty, its been wonderful being able to get some help with this.”

30. What do we still need • More empty homes officers in more councils on longer term contracts • Empty homes specific enforcement tools • More varied loan and grant products that promote different end uses

33. T: 0344 515 2461E: Kristen_Hubert@shelter.org.uk Kristen Hubert, Empty Homes Coordinator, Scottish Empty Homes Partnership