Choice, Demand and Demolition

1
Choice, Demand and Demolition

• by
• John Earnshaw
• Low Demand Project Manager
• The Empty Homes Agency
• Queens Hotel, Leeds
• 26th April 2006

2
An overview of the session

• Facts and Figures
• The Empty Homes Agency
• EHA Low Demand Project
• Low Demand in Social Housing
• Kirklees MDC - example
• High Demand Solutions
• Market Renewal Pathfinders
• The Case For/Against Demolition
• The European Housing Scene Can we learn
  anything from our EU neighbours?
• Questions Answers

3
The Empty Homes Agency

• The Empty Homes Agency is a housing association
  with charitable status, although we neither own
  nor manage any empty property
• The Empty Homes Agency is an independent
  campaigning charity, which exists to highlight
  the waste of empty property in England and works
  with others to devise and promote solutions to
  bring empty property back into use
• The Reason Why We Exist set up in 1992 in
  response to the high number of empty properties
  and the crisis with homelessness - something had
  to be done!

4
Empty Homes 2003

• Total Empty Vacant gt6 months
• 718,720 308,438

5
Empty Homes 2004

• Total Empty RSL LA
• 689,675 57,536 39,195

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Empty Homes 2005

• Total Empty RSL LA
• 680,412 40,613 48,594

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What do the figures show?

• A massive reduction of 29,045 empty homes overall
  in England in 2004
• A further reduction of 10,000 empty homes overall
  in 2005
• That The Empty Homes Agencys Enabling Strategy
  Really Works!

8
The Empty Homes Agency website

• Click on Resources
• Then click on Statistics
• www.emptyhomes.com

9
The Empty Homes Agencys Low Demand Project

• Officially started March 2004
• Based in the Barnsley
• Big Lottery Funded
• Off to a flying start

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The Empty Homes AgencysLow Demand Project

• Setting up project to help communities in areas
  of low demand
• Developing communications, media work and policy
• Developing EHA work on low demand with the nine
  Market Renewal Pathfinders
• For the very latest on the project see
  www.emptyhomes.com/ld/lowdhome.htm

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Early visitsBurnley and Hull

• Daneshouse
• Giroscope and North Bransholme

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. Leeds and Salford

• CANOPY Housing Project Leeds
• City of Salford

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So what is Low Demand?

•  
• There are approximately 680,000 empty homes in
  England, many of which are in areas of low demand
  for housing.
• Almost one million householders live in areas of
  so called low demand for housing or housing
  market failure.
• These are areas with high numbers of empty homes
  and often problems of anti-social behaviour,
  crime, drugs and dereliction.

14
What exactly is Low Demand in Social Housing?

• In the case of social housing, housing in blocks
  or management patches of at least 50 dwellings,
  it is classed as low demand, where one or more of
  the following symptoms is exhibited
• tenancy offers frequently refused
• a small or non-existent waiting list
• high rates of voids available for letting
• high rates of tenancy turnover

15
So why did social housing need to be marketed in
Kirklees in 1999?

• Typical low demand social housing in Kirklees UK

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Lets turn the clock back to 1999 and find out why

• Over 1,000 Voids Scheduled for Demolition
• Appointed as Voids Project Manager
• Lots of Fresh Thinking, Innovation and New Ideas
  on Lettings and Marketing in Social Housing
• Some examples on the next few slides..

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Getting to Know The Product

• Inspecting all vacant properties, including
  bungalows, flats, houses and sheltered
  accommodation for any repairs, grass-cutting and
  litter etc
• Talking to and/or visiting local quality estate
  agents to see how they operated brochures,
  reception areas, TO LET boards, viewings etc
•  

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TO LET Boards
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Advertising

• Advertising and Marketing useful items
• It paid to advertise literally anywhere!
• Placed regular smallish ads in the local and
  regional newspapers
• Designed and printed a coloured Property Guide
  to distribute to prospective tenants
• Grouped email shots to customers
• SMS - Text Messaging to customers
• Tried local radio!

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Yes, anywhere!
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Swansea Home Choice www.swansea.gov.uk Anne
Smith - Project Manager says the most
successful marketing techniques have reduced
voids from 1,500 in 2004 to just 452 this week

• Detailed Property Specifications
• One to One Interviews with customers
• Regular Customer Surveys with prize draws
• Show Homes and Open Days
• Targeted Mail Shots

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Some of the Kirklees results through Fresh
Thinking

• Let over 500 low demand properties in 12 month
  period
• Creation of pioneering Kirklees/Camden housing
  partnership
• Won Empty Homes Agencys National Award for Best
  Strategy on Tackling Low Demand
• BBC made documentary on my work
• Creation of LAWN movement of people from
  London and the South East to the Midlands and the
  North of England

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SomeHigh DemandSolutions
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Choice Base Lettings andRegional Mobility

• LAWN
• MoveUK

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Fresh Start Options

• London Borough of Lewisham Moving out of
  London scheme
• Poole Borough Council tenants open day

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Low Demand in the Private Sector
27
Housing Market in Burnley
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Low Demand so what is working?

• Answers? no single answer
• Community Anchors - Chicago
• Community involvement
• Early monitoring system
• Home swaps - Salford
• Homesteading - Sheffield
• Mobility schemes HEMS, LAWN MOVEUK
• Re-profiling North West
• Self-help housing Canopy Giroscope

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How can The Empty Homes Agency help?

• Campaigning voice (e.g. Empty Homes Management
  Orders)
• Good practice guide
• Local authority support
• Low demand support
• RSL support
• Website www.emptyhomes.com

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Constantly Look for New Ideas

• Change of use ?
• Conferences
• Courses
• Local forums
• Networking
• Partnering
• Seminars

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(No Transcript)
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There are nine Market Renewal Pathfinder areas

• Birmingham and Sandwell
• East Lancashire
• Humberside
• Manchester and Salford
• Merseyside
• Newcastle and Gateshead
• North Staffordshire
• Oldham and Rochdale
• South Yorkshire

33
House of Commons Select Committee Report
Empty Homes and Low Demand Pathfinders 8th
February

• Written and Verbal Evidence from
• TPAS
• SAVE Britains Heritage
• English Heritage
• Empty Homes Agency
• Welsh Streets Home Group
• Whitefield Conservation Action Group

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House of Commons Select Committee Report (8th)
Empty Homes and Low Demand Pathfinders Summary
- 5th April

• Concerns expressed about the scale of demolitions
  envisaged and the impact on vulnerable
  communities
• Pathfinders need to consult better with local
  communities and consider different options for
  improvements, including more refurbishments
• Broad recognition that the communities need
  support during this period of transition
• Pathfinders should be allowed to spend a
  significant proportion of their funds on helping
  communities

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DEMOLITION Is it really a valid option?

• The tradition of bulldozing areas in decline must
  be overcome if the aim of sustainable development
  is to be achieved, the government was warned this
  week.  
• Inside Housing 12th December 2004

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DEMOLITION Phase 1Read all about it!

• Empties fall but associations buck trend
• Another fall in empty homes across England has
  been marred by a rise in the number owned by
  housing associations.  
• Inside Housing - 13th February 2004

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DEMOLITION Phase 3

• North Staffs pathfinder plans 4,000 home
  demolition  
• A 35 million plan to ease market decline has
  been agreed by the North Staffordshire housing
  market renewal pathfinder.  
• Inside Housing 12th August 2003

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ITVMonday 16th May - Friday 20th May 2005  
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Complete Refurbishment through Innovative Design

• Terraced house in Powis Street, Toxteth
• Completely refurbished
• New bathroom
• New kitchen
• Completely Transformed for 24K
• Affordable for First Time Buyers
• Is this a valid solution for the Pathfinders to
  copy?

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Urban Splash Chimney Pot Park, Salford

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Opposition to large scale demolition?
42
SEEwww.fightfourourhomes.com
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Some more case studies

• Burnley Wood Community Action Group
• www.burnleywood.com
• Canopy Housing Project Leeds
• Dall Street Residents Burnley
• Giroscope Hull
• Welsh Streets - Liverpool

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Demolition or Refurbishment?This is what we, the
Dall Street Residents would like to see done to
our much loved terraced homes.
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Ringo attacks Demolition of City Homes

• Ringo Starr, the former Beatle, said yesterday
  (23rd May) that 20,000 homes on Merseyside,
  including his birthplace, should be restored
  instead of being knocked down
• "Why are they knocking them down? If it is
  economically viable, they should do them up

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European Network for Housing Research

• www.enhr.ibf.uu.se

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YOUVE NOW SEEN THE EVIDENCE!

• So, the question the nine Market Renewal
  Pathfinders must now ask themselves -
• Is Wholesale Demolition Really a Valid Option?
• What do you think?

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ALWAYS REMEMBERWHATEVER YOU DOPREVENTION IS
BETTER THAN THE CURE
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The Empty Homes Agencywww.emptyhomes.com

• 195 197 Victoria Street
• London
• SW1E 5NE
• And
• PO Box 3609
• Barnsley
• S75 1WW

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Thank You for Listening andAny Questions?