We're preparing for our Conference, due to take place in Birmingham during the last two weeks in May.

As in previous years, the process started at the December Executive where we discussed possible topics.  We've now sent out a questionnaire by email, inviting feedback from our Members on what they would like to see on the programme. Read more »

On 1st February,  Haslingden and Hyndburn MP Graham Jones tabled a number of amendments designed to reshape the proposed Empty Homes Premium into something more coherent and workable than what is to be found in the current Local Government Finance Bill going before Parliament.

In a series of well-argued proposals that parallel many of the comments made in the Empty HOmes Ntetwork consultation response, MP Jones suggested that Read more »

The HCA has revealed that £30million has been set aside for the Empty Homes Community Grants Fund, leaving no more thatn £70million for bids to the HCA's Empty Homes pot which are currently being assessed.   (£2million has already been allocated during 2011-12, so the amount may be less than £70million).

The HCA Newsletter for the 1st February noted "We are currently assessing an encouraging bidding response to the remaining £70m of funding." Read more »

For a long time, we've been promising improvements to our email notifications system.  The promised improvements have finally arrived.

We had a problem initially with the number of meails being sent out - the frequency control wasn't working.  Sorry about that.  The issue has been fixed now . Read more »

South Oxfordshire, the first authority in England to have an Interim EDMO approved, has reportedly turned its back on the measure because of the costs involved.  According to a BBC story local parish councillor Chrissie Phillips-Tilbury urged the Council to bring more empty homes back into use.  But the Council's website states "the council does not have sufficient resource and cannot justify the financial cost of trying to enact EDMOs". Read more »

The Red Tape Challenge is currently focusing on Housing and Construction.  The Challenge shifts its spotlight periodically, though more than one area is looked at concurrently. 

The Housing and Construction Challenge says it will last five weeks, although there is the minor technicality that it doesn't tell you when the five weeks started (doh!).  However that information  can be found on the "All themes" page: the Challenge started on the 12th January and ends on the 16th February.  Read more »

The HCA has updated its Frequently Asked Questions document in respect of bidding for the £100million Empty Homes Programme.  Key points include

The FAQ document contains a link to the CLG model on which the grant rates have been predicated. Read more »

At a meeting organised by the South West National Housing Federation on 12th January, Pacian Andrews of the HCA addressed some important concerns faced by providers wanting to bid in the £100million Empty Homes Programme. 

Firstly, Pacian announced that any allocations under the Empty Homes Pogramme would not be added to existing Affordable Homes Programme contracts.  This will  make tthe monitoring of the contracts significantly easier for both providers and the HCA. Read more »

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 »