Thousands of Kirklees homes sit empty as council faces task of finding places for the homeless

Thousands of homes in Kirklees are sitting empty as councils face the huge task of finding safe places for the homeless to stay during the coronavirus lockdown.
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The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns about the number of properties lying vacant across the country at a time of chronic shortage, after the Government gave councils a deadline to house people for the duration of the outbreak.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures show that 7,293 homes in Kirklees were empty at the most recent count in October – a seven-year high.

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Of those, 2,647 were classed as long-term vacancies, meaning they had been unoccupied for at least six months.

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Empty homes

The number of vacant dwellings in the area was significantly higher than a year previously, when there were 5,698. And there were far more than the 6,207 counted in 2004, the earliest year with comparable data.

Across England, there were 648,000 vacant properties last October – a seven-year high.

More than a third of these had been left gathering dust for half a year or more.

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Housing minister Luke Hall wrote to councils last month, giving them a deadline of March 29 to ensure all “rough sleepers and other vulnerable homeless” were housed in appropriate accommodation.

The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations across England, said empty homes could provide a secure, affordable roof over the heads of those most in need.

The LGA said some councils would need “urgent help” from the Government to house their homeless.

A spokesman said: “The situation has not been helped by the recent closures of hotels and caravan parks, and some insurance policies which may limit the ability of hotel owners to take part in housing rough sleepers.

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“Councils also encounter difficulties where rough sleepers refuse to engage or take up the offer of help.

“It is concerning that so many homes are left empty at a time of chronic housing shortage, and allowing councils to charge up to 300 per cent of council tax on long-term empty homes will help them to address this.”