John Healey announced £1M to fund empty homes work in 17 local authority areas, particularly targeted at anti-social long-term empty properties.

The areas selected were chosen against the following criteria:

• among the 60 local authorities with the highest level of empty homes
• in need of improvement through the red flag CAA process
• willing to do somehing
• ability to provide matched resources

Here are signs of a response to NAEPP's proposals in Creating a National Empty Homes Initiative. The importance of the empty homes champion or co-ordinator is being recognised.  Our proposal for match-funding has been taken up.  It remains a shame that NAEPP's potential is insufficiently recognised: "The Empty Homes Agency and the Chartered Institute of Housing will work with the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on a programme of targeted consultancy to help develop skills and expertise in the 17 local authorities involved".   Possibly we are not expensive enough to warrant support.