Each year National Empty Homes Week, which this year runs from Monday 28 February until Sunday 6 March, highlights the need to bring empty homes back into use and tackle their negative impact on neighbourhoods
In 2020/2021 The Empty Property Team at Birmingham City Council brought 305 homes back into residential use despite the Covid – 19 Pandemic. From April 2021 to January 2022 the team brought an additional 220 homes back into use. This has been achieved through collaborative work with owners and the use of a variety of enforcement measures.
During this National Empty Homes Week, the Empty Property Team will be using their twitter account @bccemptyhomes and other social media to highlight the work they carry out. There will be examples of our enforcement work to improve the exterior of properties following a statutory notice to do the work having expired. We will also share examples of long-term empty properties which we have now been returned back into residential use through our intervention and with the co-operation of owners.
If anyone wishes to report an empty property to the team, they can email emptyproperty@birmingham.gov.uk or telephone 0121 303 7978
Paul Lankester, Interim Assistant Director of Regulation and Enforcement said “The work carried out by the Empty Property Team in bringing houses back into use is vital to the City Council’s aims to maintain sustainable communities and neighbourhoods. It also has the additional benefit of providing some more housing to meet the needs of our citizens.”
