Nearly three-quarters (74%) of the general public would like their local council to prioritise bringing empty homes back into use, according to a new survey.
The research, which has been published to coincide with the start of National Empty Homes week, shows that the majority of people also underestimate the number of empty homes in England. Of those surveyed, 80% thought there were around 377,000 empty homes, when in fact official figures show there are 610,000 in England.
The research, published by the Empty Homes Agency and Halifax, also showed that 36% of people think empty homes are a blight on their local area, and only a third (34%) thought turning empty homes into usable homes is not going to solve the housing crisis.
Helen Williams, chief executive of the Empty Homes Agency, said: ‘There is clear support from voters of all political persuasions for the next government to commit to tackling empty homes.
'Today we are launching a campaign asking all the Westminster political parties to pledge that, if they form the next government, they will adopt a plan to tackle empty homes within their first year, as part of a wider approach to tackling housing need.’
