Labour peer demands action on empty homes as homelessness soars

A Labour peer has urged the government to introduce an empty homes strategy to help end homelessness.

Lord Bird claimed nearly two million homes have been lost from the social housing sector through Right to Buy, and more needs to be done to tackle homelessness.

The comments come as councils in England will be able to take control of homes left empty for six months under government plans to cut the current two-year threshold.

Two million houses removed

Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue, told a debate in the House of Lords told a debate in the House of Lords that more needed to be done to protect and make use of the country’s social housing stock.

He said: “We know that, over the past 40 years, nearly two million houses have been removed from the social sector and sold on, because Margaret Thatcher and her acolytes wanted to spread middle-class values and property ownership into the working classes.”

He explained that, while he agreed with the idea of abolishing the class system, resources were not being used correctly, with legal barriers among the reasons why thousands of empty units of social housing could not be brought back into use for social good.

He said: “When the Big Issue started, 35 years ago, we were very involved in the empty homes movement because we could see, not just from our own experience, that this was a completely wasted resource and that society should grasp it and do two things.

“One is to house people, and the other is to get rid of waste, get rid of redundant property, and get rid of the idea that there were people out there who, as much as they needed housing, could not use the opportunity to take over these properties.”

Not the right response

Other peers during the debate highlighted the rise in homelessness and the growing number of long-term empty homes.

Lord Greenhalgh, from the Conservatives, said the number of homeless people had risen from 269,000 in 2019 to a record 330,410, while rough sleeping had also reached record levels.

He called for a focus on the 309,000 homes that had been empty for more than six months, up from 248,000 in 2022, and urged the government to introduce a dedicated fund to bring long-term empty homes back into use.

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said the current homelessness situation was “unacceptable” but a national empty homes strategy may not be the right response.

She said: “Let me be clear that our government share the objective of the noble Lord, Lord Bird; bringing empty homes back into use can provide homes for people who need them, support regeneration and help to relieve pressure on local housing markets.

“But recognising the importance of the issue does not necessarily mean that a new national strategy is the right response.

“Empty homes arise for many different reasons. Properties vary in their condition, ownership and the cost of bringing them back into use. Local housing pressures and property markets also differ considerably. A single national approach could, therefore, be overly prescriptive and may not reflect what will work in each area.

“It could create additional reporting and administrative requirements for councils, which would in itself draw resources away from the practical work of identifying empty homes, engaging owners and returning properties to use.”

She added that many councils across the country have their own empty homes strategies, reflecting local circumstances, and said councils that have not yet considered introducing one should do so.

Greater powers for councils

The Labour government has announced plans to give councils greater powers to bring long-term empty homes back into use.

Under the proposed reforms, Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) would allow local authorities to take over the management of an empty property and rent it out for up to seven years, while ownership remains with the property owner.

The government also plans to make it easier for councils to obtain an EDMO through the First-tier Tribunal by removing the current evidential requirements relating to anti-social behaviour and community support.

The reforms would also reduce the period a property must have been empty before it can become eligible for an EDMO, from two years to six months.