MEDIA
ARTICLES
October 4th 2026, ‘The Telegraph’ report on the new Burnham Government’s new EDMO powers and quote Director of Policy Chris Bailey on the costs and impacts of the change, as we emphasise the need for investment
Sept 2026 ‘The Times’ report on new EDMO powers and quote Action on Empty Homes on why the change is needed: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/labour-edmos-empty-properties-housing-crisis-x2g3mmv2m
The housing press quote us on new powers for councils September 2026: ‘Chris Bailey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Action on Empty Homes, said: “Action on Empty Homes welcome the government’s changes to the Empty Dwelling Management Order powers. This shows the new government has listened. Councils now have a power they can use where appropriate, instead of one that had fallen out of use through ineffectiveness.
“We hope this represents a line in the sand – a government saying that it won’t tolerate homes going to waste, when over a hundred thousand families are homeless.
“In the last decade numbers of long-term empty homes have risen by 50% and more than doubled in London – these changes show a commitment to reversing this tide of waste. Now government needs to take the next step, which is freeing up funds for councils to invest in purchasing empty homes and retrofitting these as affordable social homes, where they can be matched to local housing needs.
“There will be lots of headlines warning about councils taking homes but it is important to realise that this is a power that is subject to approval by Property Tribunals – the reason it is good news, is that it should show that where homes are really empty for no reason and where owners are making no effort to sell them or return them to use, councils can now act.”
Link: https://hqnetwork.co.uk/news/government-announces-reforms-to-bring-more-empty-homes-back-into-use/
Abandoned properties are on the rise. What can be done to bring them back into use?
Seaside resorts and holiday destinations risk becoming "dead towns" if money is not spent providing homes for people living and working in the local area, a charity warns.
Chris Bailey, of Action on Empty Homes, said communities are now being ‘hollowed out’ as they no longer have a year-round economy.
‘With a visitor economy you lose the availability of affordable housing for young people to start families,’ he said.
TELEVISION & RADIO
Following work in Bristol we appeared in an ITV TV News report addressing the waste of vacant homes in the South West, England’s most vacant region. It looks at why council’s need better powers - web version includes South West vacancy data maps and video reports with Chris Bailey and with Bath and NE Somerset’s Empty Homes Officer Debbie Freeman.
See the report here
Our data analysis and work appeared on Radio 4’s File on 4 show, Ghost Houses.
Simon Maybin investigates the phenomenon of empty homes and, over nine months, follows the work of someone trying to turn unused properties into homes for families among the record numbers who are now homeless.
Chris Bailey appeared on a ‘panel’ piece on BBC discussing how housing was a key election issue for voters. He explained the role of empty homes in the housing crisis.
Media Contacts
We can answer enquiries about the latest empty homes data, analysis of the data, and empty homes issues generally, including commentary on second homes, short-lets and what can be done to bring long-term empty homes back into use, including how retrofit can produce homes that are cheaper and healthier to live in. Increasing vacancy at a time of rising homelessness and shortage of affordable housing poses questions that we can answer Please get in touch.
Recent Media Releases
14th November 2025 MEDIA RELEASE the 2025 Council Taxbase data release was a gamechanger showing long-term empty homes rising by 14% in a year to above the level in the pandemic when the housing market was closed, they rose across all regions and all categories. The fastest rise of 23% was in London, the most vacant region overall was the South West. Remarkably vacancy in London is now higher than in the North East region. Since the last national empty homes programme ended in 2016, long-term empty homes in England have risen by over 50%.
13th November 2024 MEDIA RELEASE in response to the 2024 Council Taxbase data release showing that empty homes have risen again across all categories.
15th May 2024 MEDIA RELEASE for our report in partnership with University of Sheffield and funded by abrdn on the rural and coastal housing crisis, identifying‘ghost enclaves’ of low-use homes. You can read the full report here.
4th March 2024 MEDIA RELEASE for National Empty Homes Week - in the face of such a desperate housing shortage every empty home matters.
8th November 2023 MEDIA RELEASE Government data released today shows numbers of long-term empty homes rise in EVERY region of England - Over 260,000 wasted long-term empty homes as homelessness peaks
9 November 2022 MEDIA RELEASE Government data released today shows numbers of long-term empty homes rise in almost every region of England
For empty homes data in local authority areas and where most homes are empty and the biggest rises in empty homes see here.