A new partnership designed to bring houses empty for six months or more back into use is encouraging local property owners to get in touch for free information and advice.
The partnership members are City of York Council, Selby District Council, which sits in the same Broad Market Rental Area as York and which CYC is helping with its empty property strategy, and Hunters Property Group, which will assist with free market advice and auction valuations.
In the past 12 months the City of York Council has helped bring 23 houses back into use by offering owners advice and information and in some cases by taking enforcement action against owners of derelict properties. According to council tax records in Oct/Nov 2016 there were 122 long-term empty properties in York out of a housing stock of 86,000. Since the launch of York’s Empty Property Strategy and Action Plan there has been a 67% reduction in the number of long-term empty homes in the city.
Cllr. David Carr, Leader of the Council with responsibility for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods said: “We understand that the circumstances surrounding empty homes can be complex and may involve legal, family or financial matters and we can help with these. Demand for housing in York has never been stronger. By helping people bring empty homes back into use, they can realise new income streams from rent or capital from sales, people in need of a home can find one and bringing such homes back into use benefits neighbourhoods at well, so this can be a win-win situation all around.”
For information and advice on bringing an empty home into use please contact:
City of York Council’s Housing Team on 01904 552300 or email [email protected]
Hunters Auction Department on 01904 756116 or email [email protected]