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WQ.400/2023
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES
BY DEPUTY S.Y. MÉZEC OF ST. HELIER SOUTH
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 16th OCTOBER 2023
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2023
Question
“Will the Minister provide the following information in relation to the Empty Homes Service –
- a full breakdown of costs incurred in setting up and running the Service, including staffing costs and the number of employees dedicated to the running of the Service;
- the number of empty homes brought back into habitation as a direct result of this Service; and
- the number of homes reported as empty to the Service which, upon investigation, were not genuinely empty, and the cost and resources expended to discover this?”
Answer
- The breakdown of costs incurred in setting up and running the Empty Homes Service are included within the total spend against vacant homes. It is, therefore, not possible to disaggregate costs associated with running the service and time and resources invested into policy.
Due to data privacy concerns, only the total expenditure for vacant homes is provided in answer to this written question. Deputy Mézec has been provided with the breakdown of costs in a separate communication, upon his agreement.
Total spend for 2022 and 2023 = £57,131
- It is impossible to definitively measure the number of vacant homes that have come back into use as a result of the service, as would be the case with other measures designed to discourage vacant homes. The reasons for a home being brought back into use will be unique to the owner. However, it is understood that the existence of the Empty Homes Service has already had a positive impact in influencing decisions, evidenced by the level of engagement with the service and enquiries received from home-owners.
Notwithstanding this, as the Action on Vacant Properties update report explains, of the 132 homes assessed to-date, a total of 38 homes have been identified as having been brought back into use, being actively marketed, or are currently being refurbished with a view to being brought back to the market. Since the publication of the update report, one further property has been identified as now being back in use.
- At the time of writing the update report, all homes investigated to date have been regarded as genuinely empty, as far as the evidence would suggest. Since the publication of the report, one case which had been reported to the service – but not previously investigated – has been confirmed as not being a genuine empty home. The cost and resources to confirm this were negligible. Cases of this nature are expected to be minimal as case reviews progress.