The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill published 11th May offers councils new powers to increase tax on empties after a year and double Council Tax on unused 'second homes'. But is this enough? Read more
Action on Empty Homes new report supported by the Evan Cornish Foundation reports on work to examine vacancy levels and housing policy in Manchester and asks questions about the City's 'hidden empties', its persistently high level of so-called 'second homes' and the impact of Airbnb on access to housing. Read more
The Campaign Against Empty Homes is supported by Action on Empty Homes The Big Issue Disabled People Against Cuts Fuel Poverty Action The Green Party Homes for All Labour Homelessness Campaign London Renters’ Rights Peace & Justice Project Radical Housing Network Social Housing Action Campaign Southwark Defend Council Housing Streets Kitchen Street Storage Unite Community London and South East Unite the Union London and Eastern Region Read more
Empty Homes Week 2022 takes place from Monday February 28th to Sunday March 6th. Brighid Carey, AEH Consultancy and Projects Manager says we should all use the focus it offers to explore retrofitting while renovating and bringing empty homes back into use Read more
In Empty Homes Week 2022 we explain the areas of policy that fail our homeless and families in need of genuinely affordable housing. Empty homes have two roles in this they can house the homeless and they can show us where housing policy fails by building 'The Wrong Housing' to end the Housing Crisis Read more
Recent media coverage focused on so-called 'second homes' flipping to business rates to avoid paying council tax and how this adds to local housing pressures as homes disappear from residential supply Read more
John Bird founder of The Big Issue explains why he is backing the Campaign Against Empty Homes and the Day of Action on October 9th "Let’s fill those empty homes," Lord Bird says "The phrase ‘no brainer’ might have been invented for this" Read more
The Campaign Against Empty Homes is a coalition of organisations dedicated to ensuring wasted empty homes are brought into use and that new homes are built to meet local needs first. Read more
On Saturday 9th October 2021 the Campaign Against Empty Homes, a coalition Action on Empty Homes is part of, held a national Day of Action to highlight the waste of empty homes across England. You can watch it on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/JpnSAtEDZS4 Read more
In early September 2021 the Global Empty Homes Network held an online event alongside the MIPIM real estate conference in Cannes. Title Mobile Capital and Housing Vacancy it looked at how vacancy is built into the 'MPIM development model'. Read more
In Spring 2021, Action on Empty Homes hosted London borough meetings to ask why the new high-rise blocks we see springing up all around us are not reducing the numbers in temporary accommodation? See info from the Camden, Haringey, Southwark, Hackney and Brent meetings Read more
National Empty Homes Week 15 – 21 Feb: Action on Empty Homes calls for Government action on escalating numbers of long-term empties . Numbers rose in 9 out of ten council areas. The 42,540 rise in 2020 was the fourth successive annual rise in numbers, but larger than the previous three years’ rises combined. Read more
National daily Metro put rising numbers of wasted empty homes in the context of the wider housing crisis and the plight of those at the sharp end. The paper spoke to us about how empties and homelessness are both rising. Read more
Government data released today shows a massive year on year rise of over 42,000 to a total of 268,385 long-term empty homes in England, as nearly 100,000 families languish in temporary accommodation. This is the biggest rise since current records began. Read more
Action on Empty Homes, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Prosper Australia, announce launch of the Global Empty Homes Network (GEHN). The three organizations, based in the UK, the US, and Australia will focus particularly on the mismatch between growing empty homes numbers and increasing housing need. Read more
The new Estatewatch website created by London Tenants Federation, Just Space and Prof Loretta Lees is live at at http://EstateWatch.London Read more
Landmark book from Rowland Atkinson a contributor to our 'Pretty Vacant' report. A history of London's property boom economy. A story of eager developers, sovereign wealth and grasping politicians. He argues the consequences are brutal expulsion of the urban poor, austerity, cuts, demolitions, and a catalogue of social injustices. Read more
Why is Haringey the only council in the country not submitting crucial housing data to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government? Read more
New report reveals why the next 500 high rise towers won’t end London’s housing crisis and the Government action needed. Read more
We call on Government to adopt a 3 Point ‘Empty Homes Coronavirus Action Plan’ to meet the Coronavirus National Emergency. Govt data shows 226,000 long-term empty homes, 253,000 second homes in England; and 100,000 Airbnb lets standing empty all over the country. While many health workers are desperate for accommodation near their workplaces. Read more
Our London housing project looks at 'buy to leave' and the impact of wealth investment in residential property. Raising critical questions over 100,000 London homes sucked out of residential supply, the role of Airbnb and so-called 'second homes'. Includes international survey of policy responses. Read more
Increase in long-term empties discredits rise in house building, says Action on Empty Homes, as London empty homes numbers rise to 25,000. Speculation mounts that unsold newbuild is contributing as Hounslow tops national figures with 158% rise. Read more
Oct 17th saw Action on Empty Homes hold a campaign meeting for local housing activists on 'buy to leave' and wealth investment in London residential property Read more
Our new annual report on the state of the empty homes problem in England reports the second consecutive annual increase in numbers to over 216,000 and the fastest rise in a decade Read more