War on Empty Homes Being Won Across Region

The war on empty homes – blamed for blight and housing shortages - is slowly being won across the region, new figures suggest. The number of vacant properties in the North-East and North Yorkshire fell by almost 4,000 last year, to 45,846, a reduction of 8.5 per cent. And there has been much faster progress in tackling long-term empty homes, a decline from 17,816 to 15,243 – a fall of 14.4 per cent. Those homes, without occupants for more than six months, cause the greatest concern, because they fall into disrepair and attract anti-social behaviour. Read more on the Northern Echo website.