Bristol Empty Homes

Background

The empty homes picture in Bristol

Bristol has widespread housing need. Privately owned vacant properties are scattered throughout the city and although they cause nuisance to neighbours in some cases, area blight is not the main problem here – the wasted housing resource at a time of high need is the central issue.

The basis of information on properties vacant in the city is the Council Tax Zero Occupiers Discount list, up-dated monthly and added to with information on those uninhabitable empties not appearing on the list coming from complaints from neighbours. The distribution of cases related to the time they have been vacant has become a useful guide in our approach, highlighting the potential for the greatest output at the least cost – the following graph illustrates this:

The caseload is divided into three ‘time zones’:

• Properties empty for 6 months to 2 years – large numbers (around 1500), very high turnover, the great majority will find their way back into use at some point anyway. BCC goal: to reduce average time spent empty by informing owners (automated mailings and comprehensive website).
• Properties empty for 2 years to 10 years – smaller numbers (around 400), cases often ‘blocked’ by a specific problem (finance, technical, planning, legal, owner’s ‘attitude’ or unrealistic expectations, etc). BCC goal: to use individual personal contact to identify ‘blocking’ problem and provide tailored assistance or advice to resolve.
• Properties empty for more than 10 years – small numbers (around 40), major problem blocking re-use, also more likely to be causing local nuisance. BCC goal: CPO action to deal with the longest-term vacant houses.

Four themes in Bristol’s empty properties strategy:

• The priority is to bring as many properties back into use at least cost - so the emphasis is on prompting as many owners as possible to take their own initiative, and use their own resources, at the earliest point to bring their property back into use as quickly as possible..
• The application of different tools at different stages in the ‘lifecycle’ of an empty property (automated, mass information for the large numbers empty for up to two years; individual personal contact and tailored advice and assistance for medium term empties (two years plus); ‘zero-tolerance’ CPO action on longest-term vacant houses.
• Repeated and relentless contact is maintained with all owners throughout the lifetime of an empty property - three monthly newsletter and mailings to all owners from 6 months vacant onwards, escalating frequent personal contact in all cases remaining vacant beyond two years leading to ultimate CPO action.
• Nuisance is only dealt with on complaint from neighbours – a prompt and firm enforcement response is taken to protect neighbourhoods and impress on empty property owners the responsibilities and costs of keeping property empty, but nuisance is not used as a factor in the selection of CPO or EDMO cases (CPOs and EDMOs cases are selected on the basis of the time spent vacant and local housing need).

Project

A dedicated Empty Properties Unit

Systematic empty property work is carried out by an Empty Properties Unit with further staff working in the Housing Solutions section procuring accommodation for deposit bond initiatives (shortly also to include a Private Sector Leasing Scheme).

Partnerships with sub-regional neighbours and with Kent local authorities

A close partnership with three neighbouring local authorities making up the West of England sub-region is well established with many elements of the empty properties programme being produced jointly. A recent development has been a new partnership with Kent authorities in use of their successful and well-regarded ‘No-Use-Empty’ brand and website.

Three workflow stages

The work is divided into three main stages:

Stage 1: Where properties have been vacant for between 6 months to 2 years

• Three monthly newsletters giving advice and information (joint initiative with other sub-regional, West of England authorities) are mailed to all owners. This newsletter is short and designed to give the most positive and encouraging message - making the point that an empty property represents lost income to an owner and giving advice on how to get back into use realising an income stream, it avoids the issue of local authority enforcement at this stage and uses No-Use-Empty brand, minimising references to local authority involvement.
• Introductory letter and two follow-ups to owners giving advice and offering assistance, inviting participation in council’s homelessness initiatives - deposit bond etc (a Private Sector Leasing Scheme soon to be added here).
• The central feature of the information service here is a website, jointly maintained with Kent local authorities (the ‘No Use Empty’ brand) – giving comprehensive information and advice, videos and fact-sheets.

Stage 3: Where properties have been vacant for more than 2 years:

• Letters repeating offers advice and assistance are sent to all owners with escalating references to the growing risk of enforcement action (EDMOs and CPOs).
• Personal contact with owners is established and maintained (by letter, phone call and visit).
• The three monthly newsletter giving advice and information continues, but it is planned during the coming year that an insert will be added for the owners of 2 year plus empties that emphasises the enforcement risks that the owner is now running (nuisance enforcement, EDMO and ultimately CPO).
• Assistance and other incentives promoted in this stage are:
  • Short-term loans (financing renovation of derelict properties, repayable in 2 years when a commercial loan on the completed property realistic).
  • Feasibility grants (small grants to fund an architects scheme, or a planning application, etc).
  • Developer’s list (list of builders and developers interested in buying empty properties).
  • Catalogue (list of empty properties where owners interested in selling).
  • Private Sector Leasing scheme (about to be launched).
  • Advice on dealing with planners, letting agents, estate agents, probate solicitors, etc.
• In the coming year a programme of EDMOs is being established. Properties will be selected to meet specific housing need in high demand areas.

Stage 3: Where houses have been vacant for longest

• CPO action is taken in the cases of houses remaining empty for longest. At any one time the Unit has around five CPO cases in progress. Under the pressure of the CPO process many owners will take action themselves, or give formal undertakings to take action, so the number of cases that reach a public local enquiry is relatively low.

In addition

Information is sent to professionals who may come into contact with empty property owners (letting agents, estate agents, accountants, probate solicitors, funeral directors, etc).

Impact

Outputs expected in year 2011/12

• 400 properties brought back into use a year
• Average time that 6-24 month vacancies remain vacant to be reduced
• Number of houses remaining vacant for more than 10 years to be reduced by 9 from 42 to 33
• Five properties kept in CPO process at any one time
• Three EDMOs to be made

Changing the profile of empty property distribution in the city

More informed owners

• Comprehensive website information.
• Three monthly newsletter.
• Information fed through professionals (local agents, solicitors, accountants, etc).
• Personal advice and information service.

Raised profile of empty property issue in the city

• Empty property issue now appears in corporate policy documents.
• Frequent press and publicity initiatives raising public awareness.
• Publicised CPO cases prompts other owners into taking early action.
• Neighbours of empty properties now aware that the Council can help. 

Lessons Learned

• Reliable and up-dated information on which properties are empty in the city is central (with the Council Tax Zero Occupiers Discount list used as a basis).
• A good understanding of the nature of the empty property scene is essential if an effective strategy for bringing properties back into use is to be developed.
• A single dedicated unit with clear roles and responsibilities for staff within the unit produce higher outputs than a more generalised structure.
• Enduring political commitment is important – a CPO programme takes political commitment and resources.
• To be effective an empty property programme needs to include a balance of tools (advice and information service, assistance initiatives, nuisance enforcement as well as more advanced CPO and EDMO procedures) to match the wide variety of empty property circumstances.
• Value-for-money studies show the importance of encouraging the owners of shorter term empties (up to 2 years) to take their own initiative to bring about reuse as well as to taking CPO action against the much smaller number of the longest term empties.
• Time is needed, together with cross-departmental support, to develop good processes and practice in the use of the advanced enforcement tools of CPO and EDMO.
• The value of good working relationships between the Empty Property Unit and other parts of the Council cannot be underestimated in helping to ‘unblock’ some of the most difficult cases. In particular close liaison with planning and legal colleagues is essential

Reference

For more information

Private Housing Team,
PO Box 595(LIPS),
Private Housing And Adaptations
Bristol, BS99 2AW
 http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/empty-residential-properties