camelot-14-uk vacant property conference empty homes nick prichard-gordon

Nick Pritchard-Gordon Empty Homes Officer. Reading BC

Vice Chair. Empty Homes Network

LOCAL AUTHORITY

EMPTY HOMES WORK

CAMELOT CONFERENCE 2014

THE EMPTY HOMES NETWORK

WEB-BASED

On-line forums to share experience

Extensive information library

Legislation, templates, best practice

Practitioner Guides

Weekly News stories

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TOP DOWN SINCE MAY 2010

1ST National Empty Homes Strategy,

New Homes Bonus for empty homes,

Capital Funding,

Reform of Council Tax,

Criminalisation of Squatting.

Reform of EDMO

ATED

Serious Government commitment.

COUNCIL RESOURCES FOR EH WORK

Practitioners often a sole operator using skills from other teams. Council Tax. Valuations.

Regulatory Services. Legal. Housing Enabling.

Environmental Health.

DEPENDS on local priorities and style. Host

team. Skill set of the practitioner.

Berkshire Empties Group. 6 UAs=2.3 FTE

practitioners

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READING

BOTTOM UP

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READING BC – ‘ENABLING’

WE TARGET THE MOST COMPLEX CASES.

£10K discretionary empty home grant

Flexible Home Improvement Loans

2 x HCA-funded Leasing Schemes

Trusted trades

VAT Relief letters.

CT correction.

Helping developers/investors

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READING BC – ‘ENFORCEMENT’

Standard LA ‘property’ powers

Works in Default and Debt.

Use of other Debts

Pressure on Mortgagees.

Criminality & Proceeds of Crime

Court of Protection

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A WEEK IN EMPTY HOMES

Incoming referrals/complaints

Tracing

Surveying

Grant/Loan Applications & approvals

Valuations

Referrals & Signposting

Council Tax Data Correction

Enforcement Notices

PTO

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A WEEK IN EMPTY HOMES

Organising contractors

Battling with Mortgagees

Complaints against service

Service development

Media

Crime, fraud, overpayments.

Courts & Tribunals

NLA Accredited Landlords

BROKEN PEOPLE

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THE IDEAL OWNER

WILLING AND ABLE TO DECIDE AND DO

WILL – keen to crack on

SKILL – can think ‘project’

TIME – can complete the ‘project tasks’

MONEY – can fund or source funding

I do not need to hunt for the ideal owner

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EMPTY HOME OWNERS

Welcoming?

Logical?

Reasonable?

Organised?

Mentally sound?

Identify best interests?

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Empty homes = Personal issues

Inheritance Shrines

Relationship Breakdown

Bankrupt/Insolvent

Criminal

D&D

Hoarders

Depression & mental health

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For local authorities – Prudential Borrowing, at preferential rates

For community organisation, bonds, Big Society Capital (accessible via intermediaries)

Dissemination of best practice and education needed

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OTHER DEBTS

+

Threat of further

Debts arising from

Enforcement Work

Owner owed a

builder/friend £130k for

works elsewhere.

Why not settle the

debt by transferring

the property to him?

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CONTACT DETAILS

Empty Homes Network 0844 736 5 736

admin@ehnetwork.org.uk

www.ehnetwork.org.uk

Nick Pritchard-Gordon

0118 937 3091

emptyhomes@reading.gov.uk

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