The Communities Minister Don Foster has announced that 6,000 empty and derelict homes will benefit from a £91 million fund to bring them back in to use.
The money will be used to address issues such as squatting, rat infestation and collapsing house prices, driving remaining residents away.
Funding is being allocated under two programmes; the empty homes funding programme and the clusters of empty homes programme.
£61 million is allocated via the empty homes funding programme, with £41 million allocated by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to registered social landlords; and the remaining money to community and voluntary groups. This will bring around 3,200 extra homes back into use.
The Clusters of Empty Homes programme will have £30 million to fund twenty partnerships in areas of acute problems such as Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Middlesbrough which will bring around 3,500 homes back into use.
Andy Rose, HCA chief executive, said: “We had a very encouraging response to the funding across a wide range of types of property.
“This demonstrates a strong appetite and scope for bringing empty homes and properties back into use, which will help to reinvigorate our communities and towns.
"We look forward to working with housing providers to bring these homes forward.”
