Vacant homes are ‘highest in the North’

NEW research published by national campaigning charity Empty Homes shows the proportion of homes that are long-term empty – those properties which have been empty for more than six months – based on Government statistics, is greatest in the North of England.

The research, supported by Aldermore, explores what might be behind this, including how empty homes relate to deprivation, house prices and the issues that some communities face, such as poor housing in parts of the private rented sector.

The report calls for the Government to re-establish dedicated funding for local authority areas with high concentrations of empty properties to enable more homes to be brought back into use, as part of a wider approach to regenerating neighbourhoods.

The reports also calls on the Government to support the creation of at least a further 20,000 affordable homes from long term empty properties by 2020 across England. It is envisaged that the Government would need to invest about £450m over the next five years to achieve this.