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Buy-up solution for housing shortage?
COUNCIL chiefs may buy empty homes and sell or rent them in a bid to tackle the chronic housing shortage.
In Hartlepool, nearly 1,500 private properties are empty while hundreds of people are struggling to get on the housing ladder.
Hartlepool Borough Council officers are looking into the possibility of buying some of the houses and either renting them or offering shared-ownership packages.
There are 1,476 empty properties on estates in the town and 617 have been unoccupied for more than six months. A study commissioned by the council said 393 houses a year need to be built for the next five years to meet housing needs.
Earlier this month the Mail reported that since April work has started on just eight new homes in town. Mayor of Hartlepool Stuart Drummond said at the time that target was almost impossible when the housing market was booming.
Housing association, Housing Hartlepool, also has a number of empty properties in the Easington Road and Belle Vue areas of town.
But they are earmarked for demolition and re-development and wouldn't figure in any council plans. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the council's cabinet committee.
Councillor Robbie Payne, portfolio holder for finance and efficiency, said: "There are 1,500 empty properties in the town. Is there no way that we can get ahead of the game and buy some of these properties, do them up and sell them to people that really need them?"
Mayor Drummond said: "There have been changing priorities nationally and the impact of uncertainties and changes to the global economy are all affecting housing in Hartlepool.
"If you are referring to individual properties that are empty on some estates then that is certainly something we are looking into.
"We are hoping to bring something more concrete to cabinet in the next few weeks or months."
The council's strategic housing manager, Penny Garner-Carpenter, said: "Housing regeneration is a priority of ours because it is a big issue in town. We want to make sure people can live in the areas they want to, the areas where they have probably lived for most of their lives."
She highlighted Perth Street as one of the areas where there are several privately-owned houses stood empty.
Compulsory purchase orders could be used to buy derelict houses in cases where landlords have been contacted and not done anything to improve or sell their properties.
The mayor said derelict buildings as well as empty houses could be bought.
He added: "We have done everything we can to bring some privately-owned derelict buildings back into use but they are still standing empty.
"This is an opportunity to change that but it is hard to say too much at the moment because it would need some sort of capital funding up front."
Civic leaders approved an updated version of the town's housing strategy at the meeting with a view to reviewing the complete strategy in 18 months.
Targets include a focus on housing regeneration in central areas of town and to ensure that there is enough affordable housing in any new development.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Sunday 12 February 2012
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