Empty homes are residential properties that are privately owned and currently unoccupied. Homes are usually considered empty if they have been unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days. Vacant properties are homes that are completely empty, with no furnishings or personal belongings present.
Every empty home removes a property from the housing market. This means less homes are available, pushing up rents and housing prices and forcing more people into homelessness.
According to the government reports, there are currently over 998,000 empty homes in England, a figure which has been steadily rising over the last five years. And it’s not just England, the numbers of empty homes continue to rise in Scotland and Wales too. Of these homes, 265,061 are classed as ‘long-term vacant’, which means they’ve been empty for more than six months.
In many cases the reason properties are left empty is financial. This could be unavoidable, like having a lack of funds for renovation work, or intentional such as when buying property as an investment.
So-called ‘buy to leave’ investment properties make up a small but significant number of vacant homes. Their owners have no intention of ever living in them or renting them out. Instead they plan to sell them later down the line hoping to make a profit.
A much larger number of homes are left empty after their owners pass away. This could be because someone has no next of kin or beneficiaries, making it difficult to trace who owns the property. It may also be due to limited financial resources, time or knowledge on the part of the new owners who have inherited the home. Complex legal processes and emotional ties to the home can also keep properties empty for longer than they need to be.
We’re currently in the middle of a housing crisis and we can’t afford for good homes to be sat unused or left to fall into disrepair.
There are more than 290,000 people without a permanent home in England alone. Housing waiting lists are continuing to grow while the number of available homes rapidly shrinks, pushing more people into homelessness. Each vacant property has the potential to be a safe, secure place for someone to call home. But we must get these homes back into use for that to happen.
We need the government to launch a National Empty Homes Initiative, working with key organisations, including councils, housing association and community organisations, to turn more long-term empty properties back into homes.
We need to see targeted support, policy reform and sufficient funding to transform more unused properties into safe, settled homes, tackling the housing crisis head-on.
Every empty home is an opportunity to end someone’s homelessness.
Join us as we call on the government to stand by their promises and put in place policies for lasting change. Along with building more social homes, we also need to support local authorities to bring more empty homes back into use.
Together, we can get Britain back on track to ending homelessness. Sign the petition today to show the government you’re counting on them.