Welwyn Hatfield MP launches housing scheme

Published: 6:52 PM February 16, 2009

Updated: 7:56 PM November 3, 2020

A NEW scheme to relax housing laws in order to reduce the number of people on waiting lists has been launched by the MP for Welwyn Hatfield. Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps met with Conservative leader David Cameron, to unveil the Empty Property Resc

A NEW scheme to relax housing laws in order to reduce the number of people on waiting lists has been launched by the MP for Welwyn Hatfield.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps met with Conservative leader David Cameron, to unveil the Empty Property Rescue Scheme; a proposal that would see some of the 1m empty UK homes put back into use.

The scheme would suspend certain regulations on the standard of housing, making it easier for people to move into existing empty properties.

There are an estimated 1.8m families currently on the housing list, including around 4,000 people from Times Territory.

"I don't think I've ever held one of my regular MP surgeries without there being a number of complicated housing stories," said Mr Shapps.

"At a time when there are a record number of families on housing waiting lists, the Government clearly needs to do much more to make sure that the one million empty properties are better used.