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Friday, November 21, 2008, 10:15
Plymouth City Council's Empty Homes Team is setting up a stall in the Drake Circus mall on Monday to speak to house-owners.
The council wants to reduce the number of empty homes in private hands in the city as National Empty Homes Week of Action 2008 begins.
The HouseLet Scheme, run by the council, offers owners a guaranteed rental income and free professional property management plus other incentives. It can provide a secure solution during the current downturn in the housing market.
Since its set-up in 2003, HouseLet has provided homes for almost 400 homeless families in good quality, clean and safe accommodation throughout the city by working in partnership with private sector landlords.
Cllr Peter Brookshaw, the cabinet member responsible for housing, said: "The Empty Homes Team consistently deliver results that put them amongst the best performing teams in the country.
"Their work is invaluable to the community, both to re-house homeless families and now for the benefit of private landlords who are looking for guaranteed rents during these tough times."
The team runs several other schemes to get families back into privately-owned homes.
Their Living Over the Shops Scheme in Devonport, funded by the Devonport Regeneration Community Partnership, takes empty properties above retail units in the area and renovates them to provide affordable housing.
The team also deals with complaints made by local residents about empty homes across the city and works with owners of the properties to find solutions to bring them back into use.
The council is about to compulsorily purchase up two long-term empty and derelict properties, which have not been unused for over 10 years.
They were a nuisance to neighbours and have cost the council money to keep them secured from squatters and vandals.
They are now due to be renovated to house families from Plymouth's Housing Register.
The team recently renovated a property in Stonehouse that had been empty and derelict for more than 10 years into two energy-efficient flats.
Landlords are invited to Drake Circus to meet members of the team or visit the Civic Centre during the week. Call 307074 for more information.
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