Henrietta Blackmore, national director of HfHGB, explained that councils across the UK are dealing with stretched budgets, but converting empty properties into homes could help alleviate the high costs of providing temporary accommodation to households facing homelessness.
“The budgetary pressures local authorities face are not helped by constant fire-fighting with scarce resources,” said Blackmore. “Vulnerable people have better outcomes when they have access to safe, good quality accommodation. Providing that sort of housing now reduces the day-to-day costs that councils face tomorrow.”
Blackmore added: “The fact we have empty buildings and a housing crisis isn’t new, but it’s time for all involved to grasp new ways of thinking and doing to boost the stock of social housing. That’s what our report sets out; practical steps that could be taken to address the overwhelming domestic challenge of our times.”
‘Every town centre has empty buildings that are overlooked’
As well as uncovering the increase in empty properties across the UK, the HfHGB report recommended the creation of a government task force in order to tackle the issue, also proposing a requirement for local authorities to publish registers of empty commercial units and assess their suitability for conversion.
They also recommended removing barriers to private and public investment in conversion projects. HfHGB explained that new build housing doesn’t incur VAT, while most conversions are charged a 20% VAT rate. The charity stated that this tax rate should be equalised, and that councils “should be able to access funding from existing schemes to support building regeneration”.
The report also stated that converting existing empty buildings into housing is “significantly better for the environment”, and that the government should update existing UK net-zero building standards to support the conversion of empty buildings.
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“Walk around any town centre and you’ll see empty buildings that are overlooked. Many of these could be reused as great homes, reducing the carbon impact of the building industry and supporting the government’s pledge to reduce housing costs for families,” said Blackmore.
“We know that empty commercial buildings are often overlooked because they seem more complex than open spaces. Greater support and clarity from the government could see many more homes unlocked, in the places we need them most,”
Alex Greaves, global head of living at M&G plc, added that there is a “huge, untapped potential” in empty buildings in the UK.
“By enabling local authorities to partner effectively with the private sector to bring empty commercial buildings back into use, the government can accelerate the delivery of high-quality homes, cut carbon emissions, and breathe new life into urban communities,” Greaves added.
Big Issue recently joined calls for action on empty homes. We were part of a coalition of 25 organisation urging the government to create an empty homes strategy.
Big Issue founder Lord John Bird said a strategy “presents a smart opportunity to put much-needed homes back into a failing system”.
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