Over 300 privately owned properties in Wolverhampton, that had stood empty for years, have been transformed into family homes thanks to the efforts of the council.

The figures have been highlighted during what is national Empty Homes Week (3 to 9 March).

City of Wolverhampton Council's Empty Property Strategy has seen 312 houses which had been left unoccupied – often in poor condition – brought back into use over the last five years.

The council aims to ensure that rather than the properties becoming a blight on their neighbourhood, they are either sold to new homeowners or rented out to tenants.

Specialist housing improvement officers from the council’s private sector housing team have worked with the owners of properties left empty for a long period of time to encourage and support them to carry out any required works and get them occupied once again.

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If necessary and as a last resort, the authority can use enforcement action to ensure this work takes place.

The council also offers up to £500 towards legal and/or marketing fees to encourage more owners of empty properties to sell their property on the open market.

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing, said: "Our action on privately-owned empty homes is providing more affordable housing to people in the City of Wolverhampton.

"The properties we have become involved with have often stood empty for many years, sometimes because there are no relatives to inherit or they cannot be traced, and, as a result, the condition of the property has deteriorated dramatically.

"We are putting these houses back on the market – either to sell or rent – and this in turn is having a positive effect in the areas they are in.

"Bringing them back into use also helps supports local shops and services are benefiting from new residents occupying the houses – providing a significant boost to the local economy.

"This ongoing work is the equivalent of us building hundreds of new houses across the city - and we will continue to focus our efforts on empty houses in the City of Wolverhampton."