The empty homes challenge

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The Retrofit Challenge

This page is where you'll find links to our latest work on the retrofit challenge represented by Britain's aging and poorly insulated housing. To meet NetZero commitments we urgently need a national retrofit strategy. Empty homes are a great place to start.
Bristol October 3rd Public Meeting on Airbnb and Short Lets

A public meeting of local campaigners, councillors and housing activists to discuss action to combat the rise of short lets and Airbnb in Bristol
Quick & Easy Response Guide For Short Lets Consultation

Amid growing calls for controls on Airbnb and short-lets sucking housing out of residential use, the Government is consulting on a registration scheme. We suggest you respond by email (suggested template)
Action on Short Lets Campaign Calls for new Council Powers to Refuse Airbnbs

Campaigners are calling on Government to offer communities the power to limit short lets and stop Airbnb sucking homes out of residential use

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:
Facts and figures

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.
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.
October 9th 2021 Day of Action - We are in a climate, health and housing emergency!

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
Community Action on Empty Homes Toolkit

Our new Toolkit is designed to encourage partnerships between local councils and communities to bring empty homes back into use, to meet local housing needs.
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
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
Campaign Against Empty Homes - Social Media Downloads Available

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.