Council set to spend £4.6m buying up empty homes

BIRMINGHAM City Council is preparing to spend more than £4.5m to bring empty properties across the area back into use.

The council’s cabinet is set to approve a £4.633m spending package which will enable the local authority to purchase privately-owned empty properties.

The properties across the city have been empty for a considerable period of time and the council is seeking to bring them back into use, to provide much-needed housing.

The council is hoping the strategy will also help to remove the negative impact the empty houses are having on their local communities.

Cllr Peter Griffiths, cabinet member for Housing and Homes, said: “In the last three years we have brought around 1,000 empty properties back into use.

“We offer home owners advice, guidance and support in bringing their empty properties back into use, but ultimately we can and will compulsorily purchase we can and will compulsorily purchase empty properties where homeowners leave properties empty for a considerable time.

“It is important that we do this to help provide much needed housing for our citizens.”

The council is keen to avoid the situation where the empty properties could become a magnet for anti-social behaviour.”

The cabinet meets on Tuesday (June 28).