The latest Government Data on empty homes shows numbers up in every region despite an intense homelessness crisis. How can it be that homelessness and numbers of homes out of use are both at record levels? We analyse the data in every council area and region and call for new and better policies. Read more
Housing isn't all about numbers but we hear a lot about shortages of supply and unbuilt planning permissions. In empty homes work numbers do matter - we recently wrote to the Statistics Regulator about how the Government was displaying these statistics in a misleading manner and they agreed with us... Read more
This is the second Government Consultation on Short Lets or Airbnbs - the deadline was 7th June 2023 - we need a robust, compulsory system to sit alongside the proposed new planning use class and platforms must be compelled to share data with local councils. Read more
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 Read more
How to respond to two current Government Consultations on new powers to regulate Short Lets and Airbnb - one is on registration and licensing and one on a new planning use class for short lets that take homes out of residential use. Respond by 7th June 2023 Read more
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. Read more
Campaigners are calling on Government to offer communities the power to limit short lets and stop Airbnb sucking homes out of residential use Read more
Want to lead a campaign challenging the way the current housing investment model drives up numbers of long-term empties, underutilised short-lets, 2nd homes and buy-to-leave empty wealth investments? If so this is the job for you... Read more
Across the country councils and MPs are calling for Government action as a second homes and Airbnb explosion sucks housing out of residential use and pushes rents and houseprices beyond the pockets of local residents Read more
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill published 11th May offers councils new powers to increase tax on empties after a year and double Council Tax on unused 'second homes'. But is this enough? Read more
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. Read more
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 Read more
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 Read more
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 Read more
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 Read more
John Bird founder of The Big Issue explains why he is backing the Campaign Against Empty Homes and the Day of Action on October 9th "Let’s fill those empty homes," Lord Bird says "The phrase ‘no brainer’ might have been invented for this" Read more
The Campaign Against Empty Homes is a coalition of organisations dedicated to ensuring wasted empty homes are brought into use and that new homes are built to meet local needs first. Read more
On Saturday 9th October 2021 the Campaign Against Empty Homes, a coalition Action on Empty Homes is part of, held a national Day of Action to highlight the waste of empty homes across England. You can watch it on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/JpnSAtEDZS4 Read more
In early September 2021 the Global Empty Homes Network held an online event alongside the MIPIM real estate conference in Cannes. Title Mobile Capital and Housing Vacancy it looked at how vacancy is built into the 'MPIM development model'. Read more
In Spring 2021, Action on Empty Homes hosted London borough meetings to ask why the new high-rise blocks we see springing up all around us are not reducing the numbers in temporary accommodation? See info from the Camden, Haringey, Southwark, Hackney and Brent meetings Read more
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. Read more
National daily Metro put rising numbers of wasted empty homes in the context of the wider housing crisis and the plight of those at the sharp end. The paper spoke to us about how empties and homelessness are both rising. Read more
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. Read more
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. Read more