In 2024 Action on Empty Homes are celebrating local authorities’ work and initiatives through one key theme: ‘Powers in Action’, and would love to share stories that demonstrate councils using their powers to bring empty homes back into use. Powers In Action will demonstrate what councils can do with their powers to bring empty homes back into use – and support our campaigns to strengthen and expand on these powers.
Each year, Action on Empty Homes (AEH) invites councils to share success stories and highlight housing initiatives designed to make sure more empty homes are brought back into use more quickly. This year, Empty Homes Week runs from Monday March 4thto Sunday March 10th.
Action on Empty Homes see this as the perfect opportunity for local authorities to:
- Promote information and assistance available to owners of empty homes
- Offer local residents advice on reporting empty homes causing concern in their neighbourhoods.
- Highlight successful local housing initiatives
Alongside Action on Empty Homes, The Local Government Association and The Empty Homes Network will also be supporting Empty Homes Week 2024 at national level, following their recent work on the issue and paper released in October 2023 entitled: “A practical approach for councils on dealing with empty homes”
Some of you may have seen the coverage both in late 2023 and more recently, from ITN Regional News programmes featuring Adam Cliff of EHN and Chris Bailey of Action on Empty Homes to extensive coverage in the Guardian, Times and Financial Times, amongst other leading titles.
What you can do:
We are encouraging councils to use the Empty Homes Week 2024 logo on publicity and keep us appraised of local media coverage. We would like to see your ‘Powers in Action’ stories, images and social media postings, so that we can publicise these. This might include ‘before and after’ success stories and images, information videos on social media, and local interviews or case studies.
Please encourage your council to play an active part during the Week!
You can get in touch with Action on Empty Homes by emailing chris.bailey@emptyhomes.com for copies of the National Empty Homes Week 2024 logo and other support material including local, national and regional data analysis and trends.
Please also follow events during National Empty Homes Week 2024 on social media and do add your voice and views – on Twitter we are @emptyhomes and on Facebook you can find our page at: https://www.facebook.com/emptyhomes/
Action on Empty Homes look forward to hearing about your work and initiatives - and to supporting you, through our publicity channels, during the week itself.
Action on Empty Homes will also ensure they push any of your social media material through our channels if you tag @emptyhomes or use either the #EmptyHomesWeek2024 or simply #emptyhomes hashtags on posts.