Empty Houses and the Housing Shortage

In 1991 I worked on the Census.  It was well known that there was plenty of empty housing in London (enough to house the population of the city of Leeds was the figure quoted) but it was nonetheless shocking to me to discover that on my patch at least 5% of the accommodation was empty.  I looked into the matter further and discovered that very little Council Tax was payable on empty property.  This seemed crazy, for it is anti-social to keep a house empty when it is needed by others and obviously the owners did not need either to sell or to rent out, so they could afford to pay tax.  I thought the tax should be increased  each year that the house was empty.  At least even if they still did not feel they had to sell, the owners could be contributing to the Council's  Housing budget. On top of this aspect, some empty property is an eyesore andattracts dumping.  By my reckoning thousands of children could have grown up in less crowded conditions if somehow I could have got this rather obvious point through to those that decide our fate.   It is only now, in 2011, that Central Government has given permission for Councils to reduce the discount allowable!  Why should there be a discount at all?

This reminded me of something I had experienced in Switzerland, the country with such a good reputation for order and reason.  I was living there for a while because my then husband had some work there, and I was friendly with a family of musicians who were poor (as so many musicians tend to be) and had several children.  There was a housing shortage there too, and they were offered, at a very low rent, the chance to live in a big old house which was awaiting demolition.  It was bliss for them - they could practise their music without annoying anybody, and their children, and mine too, had a great time roaring around the empty rooms.   This lasted a couple of years and they were transferred to a flat in a block, where there was a problem with cello practice and the sound of, by this time, not so tiny feet rushing around.  The house was demolished, but it was at least 10 years before the hospital wing which was to be built on the site was started on.  Those children could have grown up in the house that suited them so well.

In all the efforts I made to talk to various officials, I got the impression that people just don't care if we have empty housing at the time of a housing shortage.  This seems to me the moment when ordinary people all over the world are determined to get their views recognised by Governments.  This is why I seek a wider  arena in which to air views I consider reasonable.

L S LOWRY 'The Derelict House'

Next time:  treatment of small children.