IF council leaders refuse to slash the tax discount on empty homes, they must find other means to bring empty properties into use, according to Calderdale councillor Tim Swift.
There are 9,000 people in Calderdale looking for more appropriate housing yet there are about 3,000 empty and derelict homes, some of which are causing real problems for neighbours.
"The recommendation that council tax discounts should be reduced
also commits the council to using the additional resources to strengthen action to bring empty homes back into use.
"In some cases, this is about helping owners work with housing associations and others to find tenants or using the powers the council has to make owners carry out repairs," said Coun Swift, leader of the Labour group.
Calderdale Council Cabinet will confront the issue when it meets on Monday but community services spokeswoman Amanda Byrne (Sowerby Bridge) has already said that in the current economic climate, it is likely to hit individual owners who may already be in financial difficulty.
"Even if people decide to sell their house the chances of them finding a buyer in the current market are much reduced," she said.
According to Coun Swift (Lab, Town) many of the empty apartments in Calderdale have been bought simply as an investment.
"Why should these owners get a tax break from hard-working council tax payers?" he said.
There are about 2,700 properties in Calderdale which have been unoccupied for more than 6 months and approximately 200 second homes.
Reducing the council tax discount could raise a one off sum of £750,000 for the council.
The full article contains 275 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
