Homes campaigners target empty council buildings

Local authority-owned commercial properties, currently sitting empty, could be repurposed to create more than 19,500 new homes, campaigners suggest.

Homebuilding charity Habitat for Humanity, which transforms vacant council-owned properties into affordable housing, estimates there are around 7,000 local authority-owned commercial and business premises across England, Scotland and Wales that have been vacant for more than 12 months.

The figures are based on data from 110 freedom of information requests sent by the Empty Homes Network to local authorities.

The network approached every London borough plus a selection of other local authorities and then estimated the total number of empty properties based on the responses.

Habitat for Humanity’s stated aim is to make its “retrofit” concept of creating new homes from empty properties available to charities, community groups and local government bodies that are trying to create “decent affordable housing” across the UK. The organisation recently launched an app and “digital toolkit” to help with the process.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Tum Kazunga, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Great Britain, said: “Our aim is to increase the capacity of social housing across the UK and Europe by working with a collaborative network of local housing authorities, charities and private sector partners.

“Inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and forced displacement affect the most vulnerable and providing social housing by repurposing unused buildings is one of the quickest ways to provide housing support, which is our absolute focus in Europe. The Empty Spaces to Homes toolkit is a stepping-stone to bring new homes to communities.”

The scheme is also looking at the potential of former retail properties.

“It’s something that has been given impetus by the pandemic, but also by issues affecting the high street generally,” Kazunga added. “We’re seeing a decline of the high street and there are a lot of vacant spaces opening up.”