Number of empty homes is a "national scandal", said Government minister

Figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) show that there are now 720,000 vacant houses in England, 279,000 or which are empty on a long term basis. The figures were calculated using council tax statistics.

This is the biggest year-on-year drop in the number of homes that are empty on a long term basis since 2004, according to DCLG minister Andrew Stunell.

"The number of empty homes in this country is a national scandal. There is a clear and pressing need for new homes in this country, yet for every two families that need a home there is one standing empty," said Stunell.

The Government has put forward a number of initiatives aimed at bringing empty homes back into use. Councils, housing associations and voluntary groups can apply for a share of £100 million Government funding to help bring more empty homes back into use. 

An additional £50m fund was announced in the Government's housing strategy (88-page / 967KB PDF), which targets areas with the highest concentrations of empty properties.

The Government is also consulting on giving councils the power to charge an Empty Homes Premium. This would be worth up to 50% of council tax on properties that have been left vacant for more than two years.

"These figures show that this concerted effort, compared to the inertia of the past, is already bearing fruit. I'm encouraged that over the past year we've managed to reduce the numbers of empty homes by over 21,000. There's more work to do but with these measures firmly in place, I hope to see more progress next year," said Andrew Stunell, DCLG Minister.