Policy and Advocacy
Help us change the housing system in Great Britain
Key housing facts
- 1.33 million households in England have been deemed eligible for a social home, but don’t currently have one.1
- More than 120,000 households are in temporary accommodation – 20% of these are a couple with children, and more than a third of the total are single women with children.2
- 49% of low-income private tenants spend more than 40% of their income on rent.3
- The median home in England costs over 12 times women’s median earnings.4
Why look at empty buildings?
Relying on new-build homes is environmentally disastrous. Building 300,000 new homes per year, as targeted by the government, would use the entire UK carbon budget by 2050.
Up to 50% the carbon impact of the average home is created during construction. This could be saved by reusing existing buildings, and retrofitting them to meet to improve energy efficiency and bring down residents’ bills.
We want to revitalise our communities. Empty buildings are often drivers of crime and anti-social behaviour, and bringing them back into use helps bring life back to high streets.
Over 7,000 non-residential buildings owned by local authorities have been empty for more than a year. We estimate that there are more than 165,000 similar buildings in the private sector.
Start an Empty Spaces to Homes Taskforce
The best solutions come when communities work with a shared focus. An ES2H taskforce can bring together key partners like the local authority, college, NHS, businesses and community representatives to identify underused buildings and create a plan for their transformation.
Habitat for Humanity GB can help you set up a taskforce. For more information please contact: es2h@habitatforhumanity.org.uk
Show your support
Whether you’re an elected official, a home builder, a community group or a resident who believes we can make better use of empty buildings by turning them into affordable homes, there is action you can take today.
