Propertymark has continued its calls for more homes to be brought back into use in light of Empty Homes Week.
Running from 4th to 10th March, Empty Homes Week enables councils to prove they are bringing empty homes back into use.
Lloyds Banking Group has issued their own National Empty Homes Initiative supported by a flexible national funding programme.
250,000 individuals and families are experiencing homelessness, and 8.5 million people in the UK cannot access the housing they need.
In October, Propertymark called on the UK Government to reintroduce the Empty Homes Programme and bring unoccupied homes back into use.
The programme ran from 2012 to 2015.
During Empty Homes Week last year, Propertymark’s work on this issue contributed towards the Welsh Government’s £500m National Empty Homes Grant Scheme announcement that will bring 2,000 empty properties back into use over the next two years.
The trade body also called on English councils to bring empty homes back into use by providing discounts on VAT and council tax when empty homes are purchased and utilised by local councils and property owners.
Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark supports the message behind Empty Homes Week as we have always called on the UK Government to bring empty homes back into use.
“With a growing disparity in supply and demand, bringing empty homes back into use is a crucial way to tackle this issue.
“With a general election around the corner, this is an opportunity for all the political parties to tackle this issue seriously by reintroducing the Empty Homes Programme.
“The UK Government should also provide English councils and property owners with discounts of exemptions to property tax, which will incentivise them to bring empty homes back into use.”
