Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for planning, housing and growth has been given an update regarding his recent Facebook post, which outlined his frustration with 82 alleged unoccupied Ministry of Defence (MoD) homes in the area.
Councillor Steve Tuckwell announced in August that the council was in talks with the MoD to try and reduce homelessness across the borough by restoring vacant and neglected military homes.
The post stated that the council had been attempting to get into contact with the MoD since October last year, as it was “concerned about the deteriorating condition of [the] properties”.
Cllr Tuckwell explained: “All government departments have a responsibility to do everything they can to reduce homelessness, and the MoD cannot be exempt from this duty.
“While we are working hard to create new homes for residents on brownfield sites, bringing empty and neglected properties back into use is one of the quickest ways to increase the number of readily available homes for people in urgent need.”
Cllr Tuckwell has now confirmed that he has been in contact with the MoD and they have reportedly agreed to work with the council to find a solution to the unused homes.
A spokesperson for the MoD said: “Fewer than 20 per cent of the military homes in Hillingdon are unoccupied, and the majority of those currently unoccupied are scheduled for repairs, ahead of families moving in, while others need to be kept facilitating service family moves.”
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