Empty homes set to be returned to use

Empty homes set to be returned to use

TWENTY empty homes are set to be brought back into use in Sunderland, as part of a £59m council-led plan to deliver more homes for affordable rent. 

Sunderland City Council has committed to acquire the unoccupied homes, located across the city, as part of its Housing Delivery and Investment Plan (HDIP), which aims to breathe new life into empty properties, creating much needed family-housing. 

The council has bought homes in Hendon, St Michael's, Barnes, Washington, St Peter's, Southwick, Fulwell, Copt Hill and Hetton wards, with the properties set to be fully modernised and offered for rent to families looking to secure a long-term home.

The council's Housing Development Team has already returned 43 empty homes in Sunderland into attractive dwellings, and by 2025, the aim is for 210 homes will have been redeveloped for affordable rent.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, dynamic city cabinet member, said: "We know that empty homes can blight the communities they stand among, becoming a magnet for antisocial behaviour. 

"Returning them to use is not only better for our communities, but it is also a more sustainable way of developing new homes for our residents."

Work on the homes will be carried out by Sunderland City Council's Building Maintenance Team, with the programme having been supported by Homes England grant funding.

Andrea Taylor, a senior manager at Homes England, said: "Despite the current challenges affecting the country, accelerating housebuilding remains our number one priority. We are committed to supporting City of Sunderland who have ambitions to build new homes and bring empty homes back into use and our investment through affordable housing grant allows us to do that. We're delighted that this funding will enable City of Sunderland to deliver much needed new homes in the Sunderland area."

The HDIP was launched in 2020, with the aim of bringing to market more and better homes for affordable rent. It will see 193 accessible properties developed by 2025, as well as 210 general-needs homes - suitable for families - through conversion of empty homes across the city. And the council will place further focus on supported accommodation, designed to help people who are taking their steps towards independence or who are at risk of homelessness, targeting 171 supported homes by 2025.  So far, the council has spent or committed £23m of the £59m it has allocated for this project.