NEARLY 1,000 private homes in Newport have lain empty for more than six months.

But a report to a council scrutiny forum says that despite the UK’s economic recession, the overall number of empty homes in the city is falling.

Council figures reveal there were 944 empty homes in Newport in 2011/12, which has decreased from 1,033 in 2010/11 and 1,078 the previous year.

Since the adoption of its Empty Homes Strategy in 2005, 253 houses have been returned to use following council intervention – 25 of which received a share of £500,000 council money for renovations.

A further three were refurbished through a partnership with developer Fairlake Homes using social housing grants.

Of those refurbished homes 30 were vacant for more than 14 years, 19 between ten and 13 years and 73 between five and nine years.

The report says the downturn in the housing market and tighter money lending restrictions had made some owners more reluctant to sell properties and less likely to complete renovations.

It says that while good progress has been made in recent years, there was to be a continuing need to ensure owners take responsibility for their properties or face enforcement action.

In response the council has come up with a five-year plan aimed at tackling the problem.

This includes using enforcement action to make owners better manage their properties, or face a forced sale to the council, and setting up a fund using Welsh Government money offering interest-free loans to owners for renovations.

It also suggests working with developers and social landlords to get more homes back into use, setting up action plans for improvement for long-term empty homes and trying to get vacant commercial properties back into use as well.

There are currently 8,500 households on the common housing register but a review is being carried out and it is expected the number will reduce.

Welsh Government figures showed there were 505 Newport households – including individuals and families – classed as homeless in 2010/11.