UK's Most Successful Empty Home Scheme

A council's long-running empty homes scheme has now brought a landmark 3,027 properties back into use.  Launched in 2005, Kent County Council's No Use Empty (NUE) initiative has this year returned a record 600 long-term vacant homes to use, and is now the most successful such sheme in the UK. Over the course of 2013, the council has approved loans totalling £2.5 million, making it a record year for investment. The scheme has now received a total investment of £25m, a third coming from the council's empty homes loan fund and two thirds from owners and developers. To date, the scheme has delivered new homes at a cost of just over £8,000 per unit, a fraction of the cost of new-build properties. Read more on 24dash.

Council Brings 2,000 Empty Homes Back Into Use

An empty homes initiative in Kent has brought more than 2,000 empties back into use in seven years.  Kent Council has announced that its No Use Empty scheme has created more than 2,075 new homes since its inception in 2005, using existing assets.  The scheme is run across all 12 authorities in Kent and last year returned 398 homes to use. The scheme issues interest free loans to owners of empty homes to fund the repairs and refurbishments needed to bring them back into use. Owners can apply for up to £25,000 per unit, which is repayable in three years. The scheme has issued £5.5 million in loans since 2005 and has received additional private funding of £12.5 million, taking the total investment in empty homes in Kent to £18 million.  Read more about the scheme on the No Use Empty website.

Empty Homes Scheme Rolled Out Nationally

A scheme to bring empty homes back into use is being rolled out across local authorities. The No Use Empty scheme was launched in Bristol last month, where the council plans to return 2,000 empty homes to use by 2015. This comes following the success of Kent Council launching the scheme in 2005 with a £6 million capital fund. Owners of empty properties were able to secure interest-free loans of up to £25,000 to bring them back into use. Loans are then repaid into the scheme and recycled. Empty homes officers provide support and guidance for property owners, and in extreme cases are able to issue compulsory purchase orders to force the sale of a property. Read more on Inside Housing.