Empty Homes Week starts this week (3rd-9th March) and aims to raise awareness of empty homes in the community and what can be done to bring them back into use.
As part of the week, North East Lincolnshire Council, along with their partner EQUANS, are hosting an online surgery to offer advice to owners of empty homes. People can join the online discussion to ask questions on how to bring homes back to life and occupied.
The surgery will be run by EQUANS employees who work with local developers, housing charities and landlords to renovate their empty properties.
The experienced officers can offer advice on things such as best practice, disposal options and possible VAT reductions on renovations of properties which have been empty for in excess of 2 years.
Examples of how the council and EQUANS have supported groups before includes their work with East Marsh United, (EMU). This community group is a social landlord – purchasing properties, renovating them and then renting them out to local families.
Officers urging people to take part in the Q&A session highlight the benefits of bringing empty homes back into use. Good quality homes provide better accommodation for local residents – and importantly for the homeowners, means they pay less in council tax. This is because those with properties empty for more than one year have to pay an additional premium of 100 per cent on their council tax.
You can join the surgery by using this Teams link between 9am and 12pm on Thursday 6th March. Join the meeting Thursday
Meeting ID: 352 503 631 677
Passcode: vh9d7zH6
For more information on empty homes visit Empty homes | NELC
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