The statistics are alarming, as identified by the BBC, there is a record number of families trapped in temporary accommodation and over 1.3 million households living on social housing waiting lists. The UK’s housing crisis is deepening. As pressure mounts on local authorities and housing associations, a powerful group of housing leaders, including Shelter and The Big Issue, is urging the government to look beyond new builds and focus on empty homes. Their demand is clear: the government must launch a national strategy to bring empty homes back into use.
The call to action is driven by the frustration of hundreds of thousands of properties sitting vacant but not up to standard to live in, whilst local councils are spending so much on temporary housing.
How many houses in the UK are empty?
According to government statistics and analysis from the Empty Homes Network, there are over 1 million empty properties across the UK.
What can be done to solve this problem, and how can LHC support?
Bringing a derelict or outdated property up to modern living standards can be complex, often involving significant refurbishment and retrofitting. However, as the group of housing leaders suggested in a statement written in Housing Today, this is often "one of the quickest, greenest and most cost-effective ways to increase housing supply".
To turn these empty homes into warm, safe, and energy-efficient homes, councils and housing associations need access to trusted suppliers and streamlined procurement processes. This is where LHC can be instrumental.
Two frameworks are particularly vital for this national effort:
• Refurbishment & Modernisation (RM3) Framework: This framework delivers important refurbishment, improvement and modernisation works to void properties.
• Retrofit and Decarbonisation (N9) Framework: Many void properties are energy inefficient. This framework helps councils source experts to install insulation, heat pumps, and solar PV, ensuring refurbished homes are not only habitable but also affordable to run and aligned with net zero targets.
Taking action will break the cycle of poverty and temporary accommodation for many and will positively impact communities as a whole.