Action on Empty Homes, an agency for filling empty homes, has analysed government data and found more than 300,000 are officially empty long-term
The number of homes now out of use, exacerbating the housing market crisis, no exceeds one million, according to the data.
Action on Empty Homes has analysed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s New Council Taxbase 2025, to find the number of long-term empty homes has risen by 40,000, or 14% in a year.
Lack of government support has made the issue worse
Since the end of the government’s Empty Homes Programme in 2016, the national rise in empty homes has hit 50%, with London seeing a skyrocket of 138% in less than a decade.
London therefore now has 47,287 long-term empty homes, while the total vacancy is at 142,407.
On a more local scale, Wyre in the North West, and Wandsworth in London, both saw the highest rise nearing 400% each, followed by Hillingdon (London) and Chichester (Sussex) with a rise in excess of 100%.
Nationally, vacancy is now at 1,022,433, including second homes out of residential use and excluding commercial holiday lets.
Chris Bailey, national campaign manager at Action on Empty Homes, said: “Empty homes are an opportunity staring the Government in the face. They are also a critical window onto what is wrong with our housing. These are homes in the places where people want to live but one million will stand empty tonight, while over 130,000 homeless families wait for decent housing in temporary accommodation, with their lives on hold and their children experiencing overcrowding and insecurity.
“The rapid rise in numbers of empty homes also raises serious questions about the notion that private sector housebuilders can solve our housing crisis. The housing this country most urgently needs are homes that are affordable and secure for those on lower and average incomes, especially social rented and council homes, yet we have seen Government tell housebuilders in London that they can build fewer affordable homes. For that decision to make sense, Government needs to start funding the acquisition of empty homes to make up the shortfall, alongside building far more social homes.
“Every year we see more homeless families and more homes standing empty, there can be no more striking display of what is wrong with our nation’s housing than this – it is time we got these homes back into use.
“We‘ve got to stop handing billions of pounds over to landlords for poor housing and instead start investing in the housing we already have that is being kept empty.
“Homeless families can’t wait ten years to see New Towns built, and they won’t be buying executive homes on greenfield sites or luxury flats in Robert De Niro’s Manchester tower – they need the housing they have been promised in their own communities, now. What is frankly ridiculous, is that so much of the housing we need is already here, sitting around empty and wasted.”
Wales is also seeing many empty homes
In August, charity Habitat for Humanity GB released research detailing that while England’s council properties saw a rise of 30% at the time, Scotland saw an 18% rise, and Wales saw a much larger 44% rise.
Their reported indicated that many empty homes are located near transport infrastructure and jobs, and highlighting the wisdom that would come in retrofitting these homes for local staff use.
Henrietta Blackmore, national director of the Empty Homes Network for Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (HfHGB), said: “We know that empty buildings are only part of the answer to the housing crisis, but they should be an important part. Councils have full control over what they do with their assets, and must prioritise social homes.
“The budgetary pressures local authorities face are not helped by constant fire-fighting with scarce resources. Vulnerable people have better outcomes when they have access to safe, good quality accommodation. Providing that sort of housing now reduces the day-to-day costs that councils face tomorrow.
“Fixing the broader social issues we face as a nation means first ensuring we all have somewhere to call home.
“As our report shows, there exists a large number of buildings which could help us meet that mission. The fact we have empty buildings and a housing crisis isn’t new, but it’s time for all involved to grasp new ways of thinking and doing to boost the stock of social housing. That’s what today’s report sets out; practical steps that could be taken to address the overwhelming domestic challenge of our times.”
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