Housing shortage

[Kathyan]

In view of the recent housing shortage, does anyone agree that property owners should be made to either rent out their empty properties or sell them?

[kwicky]

Yes, but why do they want to do this? Most councils now have the ability to charge tenants 100% of council tax even if empty. Therefore sitting on an usused asset hardly makes economic sense.

[Gromit]

It is not a recent housing shortage. There have not been enough houses for over 30 years. Property owners should have the right to do whatever they like with their assets, including leaving them empty. Private empty dwellings are a very small fraction of the problem and forcing them to do as you say would not solve anything.

I take it you would be in favour of a homeless family moving into your property for a fortnight while you are on holiday?

[vehelpfulguy]

I think allowing 500,00 people to come here from Eastern Europe, and another 500,000 illegal imigrants, is far more likely to cause a housing shortage than a few empty houses.

[anotheoldgit]

Why not send out the Billeting Officers, so they can check up to see how many empty rooms people have in their houses?

[Kathyan]

I did say 'empty' houses!

[Gromit]

Ah,

so I Itake it you would not be in favour of a homeless family moving into your empty property for a fortnight while you are on holiday?

[Kathyan]

As long as they paid the going rate for rent and left the property before we got home (in the same state as it was when they moved in), that's fine. But I did say empty and our house is full of furniture!

[wired]

Local councils could do a lot to ease the shortage, there are quite a few empty council properties, some large places with only one occupant and they do have the power of compulsary purchase whereby a run down,empty,privately owned property can be purchased by the council. It is not just a matter of new estates being built, the rest of the infrastructure is required, schools, doctors surgery,dentist etc, etc.

[whippetycros]

Gromit.
Can not remember where I read the info - probably the Shelter website but apparently the second to many homes, others have which are empty all to most of the time do seriously contribute to homlessness. Will need to do some research and come back if this is still here.

[whiffey]

I would go a stage further. Anybody owning 2 properties should give up their second property to a deserving homeless single parent. Only in this way can we move society forward. Obviously the new occupier will need an interest-free debt-free loan-free chunk of money, and I would suggest that the original owner could supply this.

[jno]

don't imagine that filling your property portfolio up with sofas will save you, whiffey

[Gromit]

whippetycros

I do actually think it is obscene that there are empty houses when people are living on the streets. I do not however agree with the questioner when she advocates forcing property owners to relinquish their assets. It is an easy statement to make if you are not a property owner.

I did find this on the Shelter website.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/policy/policy-66 96.cfm

I have tried, but I have not found any figures to substantiate the assertion that vacant properties make anything other than a pin prick to the housing shortage.

Kathyan,
Please supply your location and will pencil in a very nice Polish family for residence. Is the last week in August convenient?

[Kathyan]

Unfortunately, Gromit, I am unable to afford a holiday this year due to the ever rising cost of our mortgage!

[ruby27]

Kathyan
Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004 gave local authorities powers that can be used as a last resort to take over the management of properties from a failing landlord.

So where properties long term are not being used, can be taken over. They can take over properties where no one has lived in them for 6 months or more.

What is needed is more social housing to be built.

[kwicky]

We once owned a caravan which had central heating on a fixed site but had to vacate it from November to the following March. This is standard practice I believe. If this rule was relaxed it could cure the homeless situation for over 4 months of the year.

[Gromit]

Kathyan

Can't you sell one of your other properties?

[Kathyan]

Gromit, why are you picking on me? I asked a perfectly reasonable question and you turn it into a personal attack? I own one house which I live in. Many people do not have this 'luxury' as it is today. I feel very priviledged to be in the position I am in, but I feel really sorry for people who can't either buy or rent because of the 'so called' shortage of housing (my daughter being one of them!). What is so wrong with that?

[Gromit]

I apologise Kathyan.

My point was (and tediously over laboured) was that you would be proposing forcing people to do things if you were in their position. However, I accept that I went too far (It was supposed to be in jest, but if your daughter is in that predicament, then I can see it is not funny for you).

As someone else stated, not enough (affordable) houses are being build.

Again, sorry for any offense that I amy have caused you.

[LeMarchand]

As someone else stated, not enough (affordable) houses are being build.

Not entirely sure that is the case. I suspect it is as likely that those affordable houses that are being built are being bought by investors/developers, held on to for a few months and then sold at a large profit. There's a new block of "starter flats" on my way to work - all units were sold on completion a few months back, and judging by the "for sale" notices outside they are now being sold on...