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Media Contacts

Please contact either the Director, Will McMahon: 020 7832 5822

Or the Campaigns Manager, Chris Bailey: 020 7832 5808

NEW 14 April 2021: Coalition calls Empty Homes Day of Action Saturday 17th April - call for action on half a million empty homes

15th Feb 2021: Call for Government to introduce National Empty Homes Strategy at start of Empty Homes Week 2021 as 268,385 wasted homes lie long-term empty after 20% rise this year

11th Nov 2020 Official data shows massive rise in empty homes to 268,385 - the largest rise since current records began

12th August 2020 Global Empty Homes Network Launched in UK, United States and Australia with call for worldwide housing protections during Covid Crisis

28 April 2020 Pretty Vacant: Our New report explains why the next 500 towers won't solve London's housing crisis - as building re-starts across London, we explain why Government action is needed.

9 April 2020: Coronavirus and Empty Homes: How England's half a million empty homes can help the NHS: A Three Point Plan

LATEST MHCLG FIGURES RELEASED SHOW ANOTHER BIG RISE Click here for more

See the data for every local council area in England here, includes regional summary

LATEST MHCLG DATA Click here for more

For the latest comment and updates follow our Twitter account here

What MPs think: Read ComRes research on MPs attitudes to Empty Homes and the Housing Crisis here

Film from HuffPost:

For a look at how community-led organisations can bring empty homes back to use, with benefits for the whole community, see this recent HuffPost film featuring the great work of Canopy Housing in Leeds, creating homes from empty homes. The film also features a look at the wider picture from Action on Empty Homes, which covers the issues which unite empty homes in high and lower value markets around the country: https://bit.ly/2RHCWGY

Media Releases

LATEST: Coronavirus and Empty Homes - How England's half a million empty homes can help the NHS: A Three Point Plan

13th November 2019 Release on latest Government figures showing third consecutive year on year rise to 226,000

New poll shows huge parliamentary support for action on empty homes as homeless families in temporary accommodation hit ten-year high

Latest

Looking for the empty homes in Bromley

A supporter of our campaign to bring empties back into use has been examining the evidence on his doorstep in Bromley
Why it is time for a Day of Action on half a million homes being kept out of use in England

Will McMahon explains why a coalition of housing, community and trade union organisations are backing the Day of Action on Saturday 17th April - and how YOU can get involved
Reprioritising Property: Use Before Ownership

We're told its time to build back better - Sam Burgum looks at how those seeking solutions to our housing crisis can learn from how Britain rebuilt are WW2
Day of Action

On Saturday April 17th 2021 Action on Empty Homes and Homes For All held a day of action to highlight the blight and waste of half a million empty homes across England - supporters ranged from Big Issue founder Lord Bird to Unite the Union (London and Eastern Region), Acorn Leeds, Greater Manchester Housing Action and Streets Kitchen.

Will the last investor leaving Southwark please turn out the lights.. until Airbnb is back in business

New Government data shows how the Coronavirus pandemic shines a light on how we keep on building housing which doesn't house anyone: so homelessness rises, affordability declines and home ownership drops. Southwark is the canary in this particular coalmine.
Massive 20% rise in empty homes up over 42,000 to 268,385 while 100,000 families are stuck in Temporary Accommodation

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.
Where are Haringey's Second Homes?

Why is Haringey the only council in the country not submitting crucial housing data to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government?
Pretty Vacant

Our new report on why the next 500 high-rise towers in London won't end the capitals's housing crisis. And how they will make it worse.
National Empty Homes Week 2021 starts 15th Feb as we call for action on massive rise in empties

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.
Council's need better powers to act on empties - why it is time for a 'no fault' EDMO

When Empty Dwelling Management Orders were introduced the powers they offered were curtailed, they are now used less than envisaged and councils are calling for reform
What we do

Action on Empty Homes campaigns for empty homes to be brought into use for people in housing need. We raise awareness, campaign for policy change, provide advice and research and develop ideas to help bring empty homes into use
Publications and Research

We produce four types of publications: Campaign publications advocating policy responses to end the waste of empty homes Research and analysis of the issue including Empty Homes in England, the only comprehensive annual analysis of official data Reports on active programmes to bring empty homes into use Practical toolkits to support those working in the field
Why empty homes matter

There are over 216,000 homes long-term empty when England needs over 300,000 additional homes each year. Bringing long-term empty homes back into use will also help rebuild neighbourhoods and make environmental sense.
Empty Homes England 2019 is available now

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

Media info

Media Contacts

Film from HuffPost:

Media Releases

New poll shows huge parliamentary support for action on empty homes as homeless families in temporary accommodation hit ten-year high

New Government figures show empty homes rising at fastest rate for a decade

Empty Homes Week 2018 205,000 long-term empties need action now

Coalition for Community Investment launched – call for Government action spans private, social and public housing

Action needed empty homes rise for the first time since 2008

Empty Homes: why do some areas have high levels?

New Housing supply isn’t only about new build