Campaign Agenda
Our Campaigns
Out of England’s 660,000 empty homes 322, 000 of them are long-term empty. That’s enough homes to house 853,0000 people.
Empty Homes are not just a wasted housing resource they blight neighbourhoods, attract petty crime and devalue neighbouring property.
Ignoring the potential of empty homes to meet housing supply is a costly environmental mistake. Creating new homes from empty property saves substantial amounts of embodied carbon dioxide over building new houses, and minimises the amount of land used for development.
The Empty Homes Agency believes that with unprecedented housing need, and unfolding environmental crises, the waste of empty homes cannot be allowed to continue. We are campaigning to bring England’s empty homes back by calling for the following action:
Use empty homes to meet housing supply targets
The Empty Homes Agency is calling on the government to prioritise reusing empty homes as a source of new housing supply.
The Empty Homes Agency believes that a considerable portion of the government's house building target for England could be met from bringing long-term empty homes back into use. If just half of them were returned to use it would provide 162,000 new homes (nearly a year's worth of the government’s housing growth target) and obviate the need for building on 4,500 hectares of land. However, while the government has numerous targets and performance indicators for building new houses there is no national target for returning empty homes to use, and the government has abolished its only empty homes performance indicator. We are calling on the government to treat empty homes returned to use as an equal source of new housing as new build housing. By:
- Including empty homes returned to use within national and regional housing growth targets
- Including empty homes returned to use within government performance indicators for housing growth
- Including empty homes returned to use within the Housing and Planning Reward Grant System.
- Making it a statutory duty for local authorities to tackle empty homes in their area.
- Properly funding local authorities to tackle empty homes
Abolish public subsidy for leaving homes empty
The Empty Homes Agency is calling on the government to remove the council tax discount currently paid to owners who keep their property empty
The Empty Homes Agency believes that the current system of exemptions and discounts from council tax for owners of empty homes acts as a perverse incentive to keep properties empty.
Currently most homes are exempt from council tax for the six months that they are empty. This can be extended to up to twelve months with agreement of the local authority. Thereafter a 50% discount applies for as long as the property is left empty. Local authorities have the discretion to set a different level of discount including removing the discount altogether if they wish. Since this discretion was introduced in 2003 only about half of all local authorities have altered their level of discount. Many of the local authorities that have not made a change are the ones with the largest numbers of empty homes in their area.
The Empty Homes Agency believes that the current system is a public subsidy for keeping properties empty. We see no benefit to maintaining the discount and we are calling on government to abolish the discount altogether. We would also like to see government investigate options for introducing the discretion for local authorities to introduce higher punitive levels of council tax for very long term empty homes. The government is currently considering these options and has instigated its own review this is due to be complete in late spring 2008.
Cut the VAT
The Empty Homes Agency has joined a national coalition calling for VAT on refurbishing empty homes to be cut to 5% to stimulate refurbishment of empty homes
The Empty Homes Agency believes that charging 17.5% Value Added Tax on refurbishment works to empty homes acts as a disincentive to bringing them back into use. Particularly when building new homes is zero rated for VAT. We are a partner in the Cut the Vat coalition which is calling a for a cut in the 17.5% VAT rate that is applied to repairs and refurbishment of existing buildings. We believe harmonisation of VAT between new-build and refurbishment is needed. Whilst there have been some reductions in VAT for properties that have been empty for longer then two years, there is still a huge discrepancy between the zero rate of VAT on new-build properties and the VAT of 17.5% for refurbishment of empty properties. Currently refurbishment on some properties that have been empty for more than ten years is exempt from VAT, properties which have been empty for between two and ten years induce a 5% VAT charge and VAT on refurbishment on properties which have been empty for up to three years is charged at the full 17.5%.
The Empty Homes Agency believes that there should be harmonisation of VAT to encourage better use of the existing housing stock. The Empty Homes Agency believes that if the Government is serious about its commitment to make better use of brownfield sites then harmonisation of VAT is one fiscal policy change that will send a very positive message to developers for focusing on empty property.
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Make Better Use of Empty Commercial Buildings
Almost as many homes could be created from empty commercial buildings as empty homes. The Empty Homes Agency campaigns for better use of this wasted resource.
The National Land Use Database indicates that there is the potential for 420,000 new dwellings to be created out of empty commercial property. The Empty Homes Agency believes that this potential source of housing is vastly underused. We are planning work in this area to better understand the potential and promote solutions.
End the scandal of public empty homes
The Empty Homes Agency is calling on the government to make more efficient use of the 100,000 homes owned by public sector landlords. And to respond properly to public empty homes reported to them under the PROD mechanism
Many government departments and agencies are very large landlords. Between them they own 100,000 empty homes. A legal mechanism exists to allow the public to report publicly owned empty homes and request that the government order their disposal (sale): PRODs (Public Request Ordering Disposal)
The Empty Homes Agency has noticed a worrying recent trend in government response to PRODs. Several government offices appears to be looking for loopholes in the legislation rather than act on clear cut cases of public sector neglect.
We believe that government could do more to help minimise the numbers of publicly owned empty homes:
- Properly deal with properties reported to it under the PROD scheme and order disposal of properties where there is no reason for them being left empty.
- Update and amend the PROD legislation or issue guidance to ensure that it properly reflects the new names and status of public sector bodies and agencies covered by it’s terms
- Publish an annual report of the state of public sector empty homes
- Issue guidance to government departments and agencies on the prompt disposal of empty homes
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Stop the Waste of temporarily vacant homes
A vast supply of housing is ignored by developers and land owners that could easily be turned into housing at little or no cost. The Empty Homes Agency is campaigning to maximise the use of Short life housing and property Guardian schemes.
Many homes are empty because they are awaiting redevelopment or demolition. Some developments result in homes lying empty for years. There are however many organisations and companies that can make good use of the property and provide homes for people at low cost. Short life housing Coops , some housing associations and Property Guardian companies provide huge benefits providing housing to those in need, additional rental income and ensures that empty property doesn't fall victim to crime and vandalism We believe it is vital that these options are properly explored by developers and property owners.
The Empty Homes Agency is working closely with Housing Associations, Housing Cooperatives and property guardian companies in to promote the case for using shortlife for empty property