National Empty Homes Week 2023

National Empty Homes Week 2023 :

Monday February 27th - Sunday March 5th

What's the purpose of National Empty Homes Week?

Each year Empty Homes Week offers participating councils an opportunity to demonstrate the action they are taking to bring wasted empty homes back into use and to take action on empty homes which negatively impact neighbourhoods.

The Week is a great opportunity to publicise information and assistance for owners of empty homes and to offer local residents advice on how to report any empty homes causing concern in their neighbourhoods.

For 2023 Media Release calling for action on One Million Homes Nobody Lives In - CLICK HERE

During Empty Homes Week 2022, last year we...

Highlighted hundreds of successful local initiatives being promoted by councils around the country.
Encouraged thousands of success stories to be shared across local media and through local authorities’ own communication channels, from newsletters and websites to social media.
Argued for additional support for local authorities in bringing empty homes into use, including streamlined EDMO powers and a balanced package of enforcement and incentives through a new National Empty Homes Programme with funding devolved to local government.
Inspired calls for investment by organisations including the Local Government Association and by ARLA Propertymark, the national organisation representing estate agencies and lettings agents, who wrote to the Secretary of State, Michael Gove MP, to support our call for targeted investment to bring empty homes back to use.

Now new powers are coming..

Later in 2022 the Government introduced the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in parliament which will bring new powers for councils to introduce empty homes council tax premium after 1 year rather than two, something we have long called for.

For the first time the Bill will also offer similar powers to double council tax on second homes, or furnished empties, where these are not being let. This is a significant recognition of these homes vacancy.

BUT we feel more can be done to address impact on housing supply, particularly in areas where so-called 'second homes' and whole home Airbnb lets have proliferated exponentially in recent years. Action on Empty Homes support councils' calls for the introduction of local controls and for a robust licensing regime for short lettings.

National Empty Homes Week 2023 has 3 key themes:

First, we want to hear about councils' work and initiatives - we encourage councils to use the Empty Homes Week 2023 logo on publicity and send us stories, images and social media postings so that we can publicise these on our website and social media channels. In past years this has ranged from ‘before and after’ success stories and images, to information videos on social media; and local interviews and case studies:

Case studies prepared for Empty Homes Week 2022 showcased local initiatives including a whole home retrofit project by Derbyshire Dales Council on 19th Century terraced homes in Matlock illustrating what can be achieved by fabric-first whole home retrofit.

We also saw an excellent example of a local council making best use of existing powers in a blog showcasing the use of Empty Dwelling Management Order and Compulsory Purchase powers in Central Bedfordshire

Second, we want to Empty Homes Week to be an opportunity to explore the value of retrofitting as we renovate, in order to work towards NetZero targets – AEH is calling for Government funding to support local initiatives to retrofit empty homes, develop green skills and build local supply infrastructure. You can lend your support by signing up to our Retrofit Call to Action: here

Third,we want to promote the opportunity offered by community-based approaches to bringing empty homes into use - through partnerships between local authorities and communities working together to deliver affordable housing for local people. During 2022 we continued work to promote our Community Action on Empty Homes Toolkit at events around the country to support local authorities and communities and to highlight the opportunity for new conversations and new ways of thinking, building creative partnerships to deliver lasting change.

To find out more about National Empty Homes Week 2023 and take part please contact us at [email protected] or get in touch with our Campaign Manager Chris Bailey, who can provide support material including logos and national, local and regional data analysis.

SUPPORT US

We are campaigning for action on empty homes. The research and campaigning work we do is only funded by generous grants and donors. If you believe that action must be taken on empty homes, please consider donating to support us. Thank you.

Latest

Wales follows Scotland to create National Empty Homes Programme as England’s empties continue to pile up

Jack Portman looks at Wales new National Empty Homes Programme and asks whether the rest of the UK is leaving England behind on housing policy, as vacancy levels in England continue to rise amidst an intense housing crisis.
Empty Homes Week 2023 sees council's take action to bring homes back to use

Across England hundreds of local authorities are taking action and we round up some examples of their work - but with 1 million homes without residents and 250,000 long-term empty and not covered by a legitimate exemption, Government needs to restart a national empty homes programme, to create much-needed 'homes from empty homes'.
National Empty Homes Week 2023 sees call for action on One Million homes nobody lives in

TODAY there are over 1 million homes in England with no residents. New powers and investment are needed. Action should start with long-term empties and unused second homes
Wales follows Scotland to create National Empty Homes Programme as England’s empties continue to pile up

Jack Portman looks at Wales new National Empty Homes Programme and asks whether the rest of the UK is leaving England behind on housing policy, as vacancy levels in England continue to rise amidst an intense housing crisis.

How do I find the owner of an abandoned property?

Action on Empty Homes does not have the capacity to assist individuals or property developers in locating the owners of individual empty properties, but we can access expert advice for you and there are a number of ways in which the owner may be located, these are listed here:
Empty Homes Data

Government publish data on vacant dwellings for each local authority and for England as a whole. Action on Empty Homes publishes the most authoritative guide to empty homes data and each year we analyse the official data on long-term empty homes, producing the only comprehensive analysis of this data.
In Empty Homes Week 2022 we call for action and investment

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
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.
Our Pretty Vacant Manchester report asks is Manchester Building 'The Wrong Housing'

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.
Ask your local candidates to Sign up to the Campaign Against Empty Homes Local Election Manifesto

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
Future proofing: Use Empty Homes Week 2022 to explore retrofitting while renovating

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
Pretty Vacant: Our latest report on London's housing crisis

New report reveals why the next 500 high rise towers won’t end London’s housing crisis and the Government action needed.
Global Empty Homes Network Launches in UK, USA and Australia with call for worldwide housing protections during Covid Crisis

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.
News coverage highlights second homes numbers rising as thousands flip to business rates

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