Grant cut raises fears for empty homes work

The independent charity’s finances were cut in half in April, when the Communities and Local Government Department pulled the plug on an annual £100,000 grant.

The handout had bankrolled agency policy advisor Henry Oliver, who was made redundant this week. A part time book-keeper will also be let go in September, taking the charity’s headcount to four.

In an email announcing his departure, Mr Oliver said he worried the move could prove a blow to councils’ fight against empty homes. ‘One consequence of this is that the EHA’s policy support work will inevitably be severely curtailed, particularly in relation to local authorities,’ he wrote.

The agency also lost a £25,000 annual payment from the London mayor’s office in March as part of a City Hall cost cutting drive.

Agency chief executive David Ireland admitted to ‘an issue about continuing to support those local authorities’. But he argued that much of Mr Oliver’s work was done. ‘We’ve got to a point now where all local authorities in England have somebody in place to deal with [empty homes], so I think the nature of the work was going to change anyway,’ he said.

He added: ‘We’re not in any [financial] difficulty. We have a number of applications in for funding.’ The government has no immediate plans to reinstate the agency’s grant.

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