South Tyneside neighbourhoods '˜blighted' by hundreds of empty homes
Hundreds of homes in South Tyneside have been lying empty for six months or more, figures show.
Housing charity Action on Empty Homes has warned that empty homes reveal the “stark reality” of the country’s “broken” housing market.
In September there were 519 long-term empty homes in the area – homes that campaigners say could be brought back into use to help families in need of social housing.
That means one in three of the vacant properties in the area had been sitting empty for six months or more.
In total, 1,423 properties were found by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to be “unoccupied and substantially unfurnished”.
The number of long-term empty homes has fallen significantly since 2017, when there were 984 such properties – a 47% decrease.
Next year local authorities will have the power to double council tax on homes left empty for two years or more – a premium currently capped at 50%.
In South Tyneside the council charged a premium on 180 longer-term empty homes.
A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: “Currently, less than 1% of council-owned stock is empty, with the majority of those properties undergoing repairs so they can be let.
“We market and advertise accommodation via Tyne and Wear Homes, which is a partnership between South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Gateshead Councils and all social housing providers in the area. Homes are marketed online and in various locations across the sub-region. We also carry out some targeted marketing for difficult to let homes.
“The borough’s independent housing company, South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust, has bought 45 long-term empty private properties and brought them back into use for affordable rent. A further three properties are currently being purchased. Homes England have also approved a bid for South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust to pursue a further 10 properties under the same scheme.