This story about the problems experienced with an empty home in Bradford really says it all about the misery a nuisance empty can bring to neighbours.

The Bradford Telegraph and Argus story  cites fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour, identify-theft, damp penetration to the neightbouring property as some of the more compelling reasons why the home needs to be brought back into use.

The Empty Homes Network consultation response on Council Tax reforms suggested that to avoid tax avoidance the council tax regime for second homes should be brought into line with that for other unoccupied homes. Read more »

Mansfield Council is selling 7 derelict council-owned houses to ex-serviceman for £1 each, reports Ross McMillan in a 24dash.com's housing news item published on 27th September.

The project is being managed by social business Training Regeneration Education Employment Sustainability (Trees) Group which will be offering training to the servicemen involved via the Joint Forces Alliance charity. This is the kind of scheme that we can expect the "community group" strand within the £100million empt y homes programme to fund.  Read more »

News stories like this one about Oxford's first EDMO of a home empty for 15 years are useful not only for the story themselves - a useful reminder of why we are here - but also for the comments of local residents.  There's the odd idiot with some other agenda but they all tend to be positive about the Council taking action, whilst asking the same insightful questions that practitioners debate amongst themselves such as "why are we doing up the home for the owner at tax-payer's e Read more »