Liberal Democrats launch manifesto housing pledge to bring back empty homes into use

5.00.00pm GMT Mon 18th Jan 2010

The Liberal Democrats have set out plans to bring a quarter of a million empty homes back into use, making homes available for people who need them and creating 65,000 jobs.

There are nearly 3000 empty properties in Hammersmith and Fulham, and 760,000 across England, which are no longer used as homes but can be brought back into use with some investment. People who own these homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP launched the plans with Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable on 14 January 2010.

Commenting, Nick Clegg MP said:

"Allowing thousands of houses to sit empty when millions of families have been waiting years for a home is nothing short of a scandal. These plans are a clear example of where Liberal Democrat priorities lie: creating jobs and providing more family homes."

In Hammersmith and Fulham, the other two main parties are bickering over the amount of new social housing built, with Labour claiming that almost every new home completed under the Tories was approved during the previous administration. Meanwhile the Borough has one of the worst levels of empty homes in the country.

Merlene Emerson, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Hammersmith says

"For a small authority like H&F to come in the top 20% of authorities for empty homes is disgraceful. I have been contacted by residents living in overcrowded accommodation who feel that they have no hope of being re-housed by the current Council administration.

"These new proposals by the Liberal Democrats offer practical solutions that would work in this borough. It is important to identify ways of actually helping residents and to do it in the most cost effective way in the present economic climate."