I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:
1) What’s the current number of empty properties and long term empty properties across the council, as of June 2? If a figure is not available for June 2, please provide the most up-to-date figure available and state the date for which that figure is accurate. How many of those are owned by the council? What were the numbers as of 2 June 2019, in terms again of empty properties, long term empty properties, and council-owned empty/long term empty properties?
2) How many people were on the social housing waiting lists on those two dates?
3) What’s the reason that the long term empty properties are currently void? Please provide a breakdown by void status – i.e. classifying them as available (Undergoing works, Ready for Occupation, TA: Ready for letting, Long cycle void group, Major Works, Minor repairs), temporarily unavailable (Unauthorised Occupant, Squatted, Capital void, Redevelopment), and permanently unavailable (Demolition, Disposal) or a similar classification method that you use.
4) Since 2019, have you undertaken any work around reducing your long term empty properties? If you have, was this done using internal resources, third party resources, or both?
5) How many properties were brought back into use as a result in each of those years since 2019? What were the average financial costs per property, in order for them to be brought back into use?
6) What work is the council currently undertaking and what is it planning to undertake when it comes to reducing its long term empty properties?
7) Does the council offer financial support, in terms of grants or loans, to Long Term Empty property owners to help them bring properties back into use? If yes, how many owners have made use of that in every year since 2019?
8) What’s the budget, if any, that the council has allocated for supporting the reduction of empty properties?