It is Empty Homes Week, and Rotherham Council is raising awareness around the impact empty properties have on communities and encouraging owners who have a long-term empty property or residents who are affected by empty properties to come forward.
National charity, Action on Empty Homes, reports that the number of long-term empty homes across England rose again from 2022 to 2023 by 5 per cent to 261,189, resulting in 1.04% of all properties being long-term empties – the highest number of long-term empty properties since 2011.
The number of long-term empty properties in Rotherham remains below this national figure, at 0.97%.
The Council recognises that even a small number of empty properties can have a negative impact on neighbouring properties and wider communities, and we are committed to seeing these properties occupied to help make our neighbourhoods cleaner, greener and safer as well as providing much needed homes.
With more than 6,500 households waiting for a council home, and hundreds of homelessness cases a month, the Council has pledged to deliver hundreds of new homes across the borough by 2026 and bringing empty homes back into use can be part of the solution.
The Empty Homes Officer post was initially created as a pilot in 2021 to see how such a dedicated role could impact on the number of empty homes in the borough.
Since the appointment, 284 enquiries have been dealt with and 61 properties have been brought back into use through direct assistance.
As part of the 2024/25 Budget, which was approved last week, the Empty Homes Officer role will now be made permanent.
Rotherham Council Leader, Cllr Chris Read, said: “Empty properties can have a negative and problematic impact on neighbourhoods across the borough.
“Our Empty Homes Plan sets out several ways in which the Council supports and encourages homeowners to bring empty properties back into use.
“We’re urging anyone who is struggling to bring residential empty properties back into to use to contact us, likewise if you know of an empty property and would like to see it become a home again.
“There are many genuine reasons why a property is left empty, and reasons can be complex and myriad, but majority of empty homes can be brought back into use. We have a dedicated team that want to work with owners to offer support, information, and advice.”
To find out more about how the Council can help you with your empty home, go online to www.rotherham.gov.uk/private-housing/empty-homes