Housing Minister Nelson McCausland has launched his plan to tackle the blight of empty homes.

The new Empty Homes Strategy and Action Plan 2013-2018, part of the Minister's recently announced Housing Strategy 'Facing the Future', will help bring empty homes across Northern Ireland back into use.

Speaking about the Strategy, Minister McCausland said: "The wastefulness of empty homes at a time when housing need is high is an issue I have long been concerned about. It is a difficult issue to address as many of these homes have been empty for a number of years however, but I am determined to take action on this long running problem.

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"I want to maximise all opportunities to meet housing need, reduce blight and tackle anti-social behaviour. I see the rejuvenation of empty homes as an important means of achieving this. I want to pursue a comprehensive approach to tackling empty homes in order to not only provide much needed homes, but also to transform streets and rebuild communities right across Northern Ireland.

"This Empty Homes Strategy and Action Plan will do just that. It is estimated there are around 32,000 empty homes. We need to properly identify the numbers and the locations, looking at the reasons why these homes lie empty and exploring best practice in other parts of the United Kingdom for bringing empty homes back into use.

"The benefits to our community will be many, not least the provision of much needed housing, a reduction in property deterioration and associated crime, potential increase in rates revenue and an easing on development pressures."

(CD/JP)