I HAVE just read your article about empty houses (Echo, December 3) and it makes me sad to know homeless people could be off the streets and safe with so many empty properties.

The house next door to mine in Anglesea Road has a solid roof, walls and weather proof and has been empty for over 15 years. I only know the owner is called Colin and lives in Freemantle somewhere. I expect he has never paid any council tax and increasing that will not change anything if no one knows where or who the owners are.

Is there anything that can be done to get these properties back into society?

Keep up the good work, make a difference and highlight the issues for action.

Roger

Southampton

YOUR news of at least 750 empty homes in Southampton raised many thoughts.

How many of these flats or houses are available at a reasonable rent? The rents requested are phenomenal. How many people without a permanent home can afford up to a thousand pounds a month, living on the minimum wage? This problem is never going to be overcome because of greedy landlords. After all, it’s all down to greed.

Thinking of buying, a small new flat is going to cost around £220,000 with only room to swing a cat. And what about the mortgage as well? For some people it’s only a pipe dream. While we consider the people on the breadline, I remember in the 1930s the council houses in Bassett Green were built, as a pair, for £250. My parents rented then and paid full rent for 30 years. They are still being rented, to my knowledge, even now. So it’s not only the city council who keep rents up. The pressure is for the production of more council,houses. The builders seem to only construct for the more affluent, and only on out of town sites, ie greenbelts, as North Stoneham. My only thought is that we consider ourselves a university city so there are plenty of flats for students, non permanent residents.

It makes you think, doesn’t it?

Alan Blandford

Southampton