Camden Council ordered to publicise list of empty homes in borough

[mark at tlio.org.uk]

This happened nearly 2 weeks ago, but don't think it was publisised on 
this list, but posting it now because it is a significant judgement:

Squatting campaigners hail judge’s ruling on empty homes
Sept 7th, 2011
Ref: 
http://www.squashcampaign.org/2011/09/squatting-campaigners-hail-judge%E2%80%99s-ruling-on-empty-homes/

A judge has ordered that Camden Council must comply with a Freedom of 
Information request, and make public a list of empty homes in the 
borough. Housing and squatting campaigners celebrated the landmark 
judgement, that will have repercussions for the management of 
council-owned empty property and which puts pressure on the 
governments controversial plans to criminalise squatting.

In her judgement, Judge Fiona Henderson stated that “the public 
interest lies in putting empty properties back into use,” and rejected 
claims that squatters are a greater source of anti-social behaviour 
than rent-paying tenants. She argued that publication of the list 
would “bring buildings back into use sooner and the housing needs of 
additional people would be met.”

The case had been brought against Camden Council by Yiannis Voyias, 
who volunteers with the Advisory Service for Squatters, as part of the 
struggle to publicise the number of potential homes currently lying 
empty across the country. The judgement will increase pressure on 
councils nationwide to make public the amount of long-term empty 
property in their jurisdiction, and challenge the government’s current 
attempts to criminalise squatting as a means of returning those homes 
to use.

Sam Little, campaigner with SQUASH (Squatters’ Action for Secure 
Homes) said:

“This is a massively significant judgement, which challenges the basis 
of the government’s attacks on squatting. We are in the middle of a 
housing crisis, and yet over 700,000 homes are allowed to stand empty. 
Criminalising those who use these empty buildings to put a roof over 
their heads is completely nonsensical.”

Yiannis Voyias of the A.S.S. said:

“The debate around housing and squatting is constantly clouded by a 
lack of facts: this ruling is a victory for transparency and 
accountability, which we hope will improve public understanding of 
this complex issue. We need an open and honest debate about the 
failures of our housing system, which must precede attempts to 
criminalise the victims of those failings.”

  

Notes

     There are currently 42,000 households that are registered 
homeless, plus another 50,000 in temporary or insecure accommodation. 
It is estimated that there are also another half a million people who 
make up the “hidden homeless” : 
http://www.squashcampaign.org/docs/SQUASH-Criminalising_The_Vulnerable-May2011.pdf
     There are 700,000 empty properties across the UK: From Empty 
Homes Figures 2009: 
http://www.emptyhomes.com/usefulresources/stats/statistics.html
     The government’s consultation into the criminalisation of 
squatting can be found here: 
http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/dealing-with-squatters.htm