60 Sandwell homes empty as 6,000 on council list

The figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request show that almost 60 properties in the borough are currently unoccupied with 43 empty due to 'under going repair work'.

Eleven were in the process of being allocated, with nine of those being new properties. Five others were adapted properties due to be allocated.

It comes as figures revealed earlier this year that the cash-strapped council had a total of 6,199 households currently registered on the house waiting list.

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, cabinet member of housing, said the number of properties under repair was 'very low' considering there are more than 28,000 council homes in the borough. She said: "The vast majority of properties will undergo some type of remedial work prior to re-letting.

"Major works may be a complete kitchen replacement or electrical rewire, with standard voids being basic repairs such as plastering works, door replacement, gas and electric checks. The figure of 60 empty properties with 43 under repair is very low as Sandwell has more than 28,000 council homes. We have made major strides in improving the way it manages empty properties with significant reductions in the time it takes to let a property."

Councillor Philip Garrett, who represents the Princes End ward, said it was a housing 'crisis'. He added: "With the limited housing that we have available this is a high percentage and very annoying.

"There are 6,000 on a waiting list for a home with 255 in Princes End alone. We need to realise that this is no good to Sandwell and needs to be sorted out.

"We can not say that this is not a crisis. We need more help from the government ."

Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request in January showed that of the 6,199 on the waiting list, 1,455 have been waiting for more than a year, 1,888 for more than two years and 297 for over five years. Thirty-six people had even been on the register for more than 10 years.