Action on Empty Homes calls on Government to adopt a Three Point ‘Empty Homes Coronavirus Action Plan’ [i] to meet the Coronavirus National Emergency.

 

Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government data [ii] shows 226,000 long-term empty homes, and 253,000 second homes in England; while up to 100,000 Airbnb lets stand empty all over the country. While many health workers are desperate for accommodation near their workplaces.

 

Will McMahon, Director of Action on Empty Homes, said:

"In the coming weeks it is going to be essential that health and other essential workers have access to accommodation in close proximity to hospitals and workplaces. 

 

"At present London is at the epicentre of the Coronavirus crisis, in the capital there are 46,000 second homes, while around 50,000 whole homes are typically advertised as available to let through Airbnb, and some 25,000 long-term empty homes. Many of these could be used to provide a quick solution to this problem. 

 

"We are living at a time of national crisis and emergency measures, every person and company who has a housing resource that can help with the emergency should step forward now.

 

"Local Councils should ask homeowners to volunteer their second or habitable long-term empty homes for use by essential workers. Airbnb should be compelled to share the data necessary to identify whole house lets close to hospitals. Companies that are no longer using staff flats should step forward and offer them for use. In a national crisis, where lives are at stake, we need everyone to be pulling in the same direction and ensuring that resources, including housing, are available for use where they are needed most."

 

Action on Empty Homes Three Point Empty Homes Coronavirus Action Plan (summary, full details below [iii]):

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.

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

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 [iv]. The national figure is well over 100,000 whole home lettings, in major urban areas alone.

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

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



 

[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 nations 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

Burnley Express, April 2020 https://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/people/empty-homes-being-made-available-homeless-and-other-vulnerable-groups-burnley-during-pandemic-2527917