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

 

[ii] Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government Housing Statistical Release, 13 Nov 2019: Official Statistics: Council Taxbase 2019 in England Local Authority Level Data https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/846095/Local_Authorities_Council_Taxbase_2019_Drop_down.xlsx

[iii] Action Plan in full:

Action on Empty Homes Three Point Empty Homes Coronavirus Action Plan:

 

1. Long-term empty homes which are immediately suitable for use should be brought into use to provide emergency accommodation for health workers and other key staff near their place of work.

How? This can easily be achieved because local authorities know where these houses are and who owns them as this information is collected for council tax purposes. We have already seen examples of speedy action by councils such as Lowestoft and Burnley^[v]

 

Scope: Nationally there are 226,000 long term empty homes - in London at the epicentre of the current crisis there are 25,000

 

What action is needed by Government:

Government should give councils powers to take possession and funding to cover costs such as cleaning and insurance and the costs associated with bringing the homes into use such as visits by officers to assess their suitability and ensure services (electricity, water and gas) were connected and safely usable. Funding should also cover basic service costs that would otherwise be covered by owners; and consideration be given to the setting of a 'fair rent' paid by Govt to owners.

 

2. Airbnb and similar lettings platforms should be compelled by law to share data on the location of whole home lets with local government in order that their proximity to hospitals and the workplaces of key health and social care workers can be established and the homes utilised to house health and other key workers.

 

Scope: London is the largest short-term lettings market in Europe with up to 50,000 whole home lettings advertised and up to 75,000 regular Airbnb lettings advertised in total.

 

How? Legal power given to councils to compel Airbnb to share data on lettings and ownership of lettings

 

Action needed by Government:

Legal power to record and license Airbnb lets given to councils with a legal requirement for Airbnb to share data for verification and regulatory purposes. Airbnb already has a voluntary scheme to allow hosts to offer properties to the NHS free of charge but only 1000 properties have been made available thus far. Airbnb have a $250million dollar fund to compensate hosts for lost earnings - its time a similar commitment was made to the nation’s health.

 

3. Many Second homes are wholly unused, while genuine second home owners have been asked to stay away from their holiday homes by Government and councils during the coronavirus crisis, while those second homes which are largely used as short-term or holiday lets on platforms such as Airbnb are likely to be vacant in the current crisis.

 

Scope: Second homes number 253,000 across England, with 46,000 in London alone.

 

How? Councils know where these are and who owns them from Council Tax records.

 

Action needed by Government:

Funding to support local councils in contacting owners and bringing these into use these to house key workers. Where the accommodation crisis is particularly acute consideration should be given to compunction with funding to pay owners a fair rent and cover associated costs.

[iv] London Councils, press release, ‘“One in 50” homes potentially used as short-term let’, (Jan 2020) https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/press-release/22-january-2020/%E2%80%98one-50%E2%80%99-london-homes-potentially-used-short-term-let