Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the reforms to Empty Dwelling Management Orders announced on 27 September 2026, what financial support the Department plans to make available to Walsall Council for the legal and refurbishment costs of bringing empty homes back into use.

Where an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) is used, local authorities can recover relevant costs from rental income generated while the property is under management.

More widely, local authorities can access funding to bring empty homes back into use through programmes such as through the Local Authority Housing Fund, the Social and Affordable Homes Programme and the Long Term Rough Sleeping Programme.