WALTHAM FOREST PRESS RELEASE

New Flats Unveiled During Empty Property Week

Six new flats built on the site of a former pub which had fallen into disrepair and
become a local trouble spot have been unveiled by LB Waltham Forest as part of
London Week of Action on empty homes (June 6 - 10).

A week long series of activities have been set up by the Empty Homes Agency
aimed at raising awareness of more than 35,000 empty homes across London.
This includes more than 3,000 in Waltham Forest (2004/05)

The week of action was kicked off in Wood Street, Walthamstow, where the old
Swan pub has been transformed as part of a £500,000 project into six new flats
for families registered with the council for housing. Space has also been set
aside for business use.

Adam Sooruth, a new tenant who moved in last month with his wife and seven-
month-old son, said:

"What they have done here is brilliant. It has made a big difference to me and my
family. I was a bit confused when they said the flat was in a pub, but it's a great
flat in a good area for us.

"There are lots of empty buildings like pubs which are derelict. They are big
places and it's a clever idea to make them into flats for people like us."

'London Week of Action' is aimed at raising awareness of the detrimental impact

so many empty homes has on the Capital, and that residents can make a
difference by reporting them.

Councillor Loretta Hodges, Waltham Forest's Cabinet Member for Housing said:
"Waltham Forest has many people waiting for new homes, and the Council is
always looking for new and creative ways to meet this demand. Working with our
partners on projects like this helps to tackle the housing shortage in our borough
while briunging empty properties back in use."

More than £500,000 has been ploughed into the project by the Housing
Corporation. Additional funding has also come from the landlord of the property.

Mr Schriker said: "I am very, very happy with the scheme. It helps everyone
involved in it, myself, the council and the tenants. It brings the area up"
The development was managed by SOLON Co-operative Housing Services, and
the flats will be managed on a 29 year lease by the Tamil Community Housing
Association

"This conversion of a redundant pub is a great example to launch the London

Week of Action on Empty Homes," said Jonathan Ellis, Chief Executive of the
Empty Homes Agency.

"We commend the London Borough of Waltham Forest for making the
investment into bringing this property back to life to meet housing need. This
shows the huge potential of using London's empty property - it is a vital part of
the solution to solve the current housing crisis."

Notes to Editors:

In April 2004, the vacancy rate (the number of vacant properties as a percentage
of all properties) in the private sector was 3.5% (continuing the downward trend
in the private sector vacancy rate that has occurred since 1993). In 2004 the
estimated fall in private sector homes empty for longer than 6 months was the
highest ever, with a fall of 6,797 (from 43,446 to 36,649). While empty private
homes are the major problem (with 83, 211 homes accounting for 84% of all
empty properties in London), the vast majority of private empty homes are empty
for very short periods of time as part of the buying and selling process, and
necessary for an active and healthy housing market. It is estimated that to
facilitate the efficient operation of the housing market, between two and three per
cent of stock will be empty at any one time. It is therefore estimated that about
45% of private sector empty dwellings are frictional or transactional vacancies,
with properties lying empty for a short period during the selling and buying
process. It is the owners of the longer-term empties that need to be informed of
the options available to them.

The Problem

§ 83, 211 privately owned empty homes in London

§ 61,670 statutory homeless households in temporary accommodation, the
number of families recognised as homeless in London rose by 37% (18,000)
during the calendar year 2004.
§ 279,729 households on borough waiting lists, (source 2002 Housing
Register);
§ It is estimated that London's population will grow by 700, 000 (the
population of Leeds!) in the next 15 years;
§ The overall supply of social housing in London has fallen significantly
during the past ten years - a net reduction of 66, 058 homes or 6, 000 homes a
year. Losses through the Right to Buy have totalled at least 12,778 during the
last financial year 2003/04.
Source: Office for the Deputy Prime Minister, www.odpm.gov.uk/housingstatistics

David Tuddenham

Communications Officer (Media Relations)

London Borough of Waltham Forest
Room 022 Town Hall
Forest Road
London
E17 4JF

Media Line: 020 8496 4893

http://www.lbwf.gov.uk