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Empty homes shock Londoners

March 14 2016
Thousands of homes are empty, despite a growing homelessness crisis, according to a Freedom of Information request

Thousands of homes in London have been left unoccupied for years, despite a chronic housing shortage and a growing homelessness crisis, according to a Freedom of Information request.

According to recent figures from London boroughs – obtained in February by the Guardian – more than 22,000 homes have been left empty by their owners for more than six months. The true figure is thought to be even higher than that.

More than a third of the total – 8,561 – have been left uninhabited for over two years, according to the data, with 1,151 empty for more than a decade.

Councils are being urged to act to bring them back into use. Options include applying additional council tax to owners, helping them with the cost of repairs or using compulsory purchase orders.

Helen Williams, the chief executive of charity Empty Homes, said: “We would like to see more long-term empty properties across England bought by councils and charities to create new homes that are affordable to people on low to moderate incomes."

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