The Empty Homes Network, together with social impact investment firm Resonance, has successfully brought together a coalition of housing sector organisations and experts in a joint call on housing policy, urging the UK Government to prioritise action on empty homes.
The joint letter to Matthew Pennycook MP, coordinated with significant input from the Empty Homes Network, sets out clear recommendations for a national strategy to bring empty homes back into use and strengthen local authority powers and resources to tackle long-term vacancy.
The initiative received national attention today in BBC news coverage, amplifying calls from the housing sector for stronger focus on the 1 million empty homes across England at a time of intense pressure on housing supply.
Adam Cliff, Secretary and Policy Lead at the Empty Homes Network, said: “We are proud to have collaborated with Resonance on this letter from across the housing sector. Empty homes represent a significant and often overlooked source of housing that, if unlocked, could help ease pressures on communities and councils alike. It’s encouraging to see the BBC shining a spotlight on this crucial issue.”
The letter urges the Government to adopt a comprehensive national empty homes strategy, enhance data and accountability measures, support local authorities with enforcement tools, and ensure resources are available to bring long-term empty properties back into use.
The BBC’s coverage of the letter and the wider issue of empty homes highlights the growing concern among housing professionals and campaigners that national policy must do more to unlock the potential of vacant housing as a practical part of the solution to the UK’s housing crisis.
You can read the BBC article here
You can read our letter to Matthew Pennycook MP in full below.
