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The £20m which could be raised from the rating of empty properties, should be set aside for affordable housing, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Northern Ireland said today.
CIH welcomed the statement by the Minister for Finance and Personnel, Peter Robinson, to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which set out his intention to introduce a 100% rate on empty homes from April 2009.
However, CIH called for monies raised from the measure to be set aside for affordable housing, to help realise the government’s policy objectives and alleviate the housing crisis.
The recent Review into Affordable Housing in Northern Ireland recognised the need to reduce the number of empty properties, and recommended that the ratings system be used to incentivise action to bring properties back into use.
With a disproportionately high level of empty homes in Northern Ireland, the CIH believes that the measure, if implemented swiftly and efficiently, could help make more homes available at a time when they are urgently needed.
Director of CIH Northern Ireland, Grainia Long, said:
"The Executive has rightly recognised the urgent need for more affordable housing, given the rising waiting lists, and high levels of homelessness in Northern Ireland. The decision to rate empty homes is an opportunity for the government to put its money where its mouth is, and add much needed resources to build new homes.
"I hope the Minister will commit the £20m to build new social housing, in order to meet Executive commitments on housing."
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