At a time when there is a national shortage of housing, Hull City Council is lending its full support to national Empty Homes Week (3-9 March), and encouraging people to help bring long term vacant housing back into use.
It’s estimated that there are over a million empty homes nationwide, with some 250,000 empty for longer than six months. In Hull the empty private homes count is 4,767 with 1,963 empty for over six months.
Hull City Council Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Housing Cllr Paul Drake-Davis says, “At a time of unprecedented housing shortage across all tenures, empty – usually dilapidated – properties deprive people of much needed homes. They also have a negative effect on neighbourhoods, making them look uncared for and can encourage anti-social behaviour and rodent infestations.
“Like most areas of the country, Hull has a high level of housing need. Bringing empty homes back into use is an important component of the council’s Private Housing Strategy and we will do everything within our power to make this happen by utilising the local knowledge and help of our residents,.”
The council is asking people to report homes in their communities which have been empty for a long time or more. People can do so by completing the form on the council’s website: Empty properties in the private sector | Hull
On reporting an empty property, it will be checked out to see if it’s associated with any nuisance behaviour. If not, it will be boarded up, rubbish cleared, and any water leaks stopped. Then the owner will be contacted to discuss the next steps, which can include selling to a private landlord, refurbishment, or offering to the council to rent out, or the council itself may acquire the empty homes and bring them back into use. The council, or one of its partners, works every step of the way with the owner or landlord to achieve an outcome which is acceptable to all parties.
The advantages of restoring empty homes goes beyond contributing to the city’s housing stock. Retrofitting empty properties so they are more energy efficient and healthier is something we are doing as part of our Priority Streets Programme. This approach to include empty properties alongside lived in homes means that a whole street approach can be taken resulting in the maximum positive impact.
Currently the council with contractor Kingston Works Limited (KWL) are working to bring a row of flats and houses in De Grey Street back into use. Some of the properties have been empty for more than a decade and, causing great concern to local residents, had become targets for trespassing, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. Once refurbished they will provide two one-bedroom flats, and four four-bedroom houses which are always in high demand, to rent from the council.
For more information about empty homes in Hull go online to hullcc.gov.uk and search “empty homes”
To learn more about Empty Homes Week 2025 go to actiononemptyhomes.org
