New action planned over housing shortage

[dutchman]

Fifty empty homes will be brought back into use after over £725,000 was handed to the council.

The government cash to make the dilapidated homes habitable comes as officials battle against a housing shortage.

The majority of those repaired will be under the control of Whitefriars, with Moathouse Community Trust and Emmaus also seeing cash.

Since 2007 over 700 empty properties have been brought back into use by council chiefs.

But almost 20,000 families are still on the Homefinder waiting list - with 10 per cent deemed in urgent need.

In the past year just 2,299 applicants were housed with only 351 affordable homes built in that time.

In April, the council revealed 752 families had applied to rent one three-bed house in Radford. The average wait for families who got a home was two years and two months in 2011.

New housing boss Coun Ed Ruane said he was consulting with developers and the city’s 12 social housing associations over building more homes.

“The figures show in Coventry we’re in dire need of four or five bed properties,” he admitted.

“It’s a supply and demand issue so it’s a case of looking at how we can get more affordable housing in the city.

Housing needs to be pushed higher up the political agenda, both nationally and regionally.”

He added the shortage of social housing was costing the council because of the requirement to put up vulnerable families in temporary or emergency accommodation. He said this could see taxpayers foot the bill to put people up in hostels, bed and breakfasts and sometimes hotels.

“For communities to be sustainable there needs to be a proper mix of housing,” he added.

“At the moment about 70 per cent of the city is in the A and B council tax band. That is very high when compared regionally.

“There are a lot of people who work in Coventry but live in Kenilworth, Leamington, Solihull or Birmingham. You have to build that aspirational housing as well.”