Andy Burnham has received a plea to empower councils with greater authority to purchase or lease vacant properties in a bid to address the homelessness crisis. The appeal, made by Big Issue founder Lord John Bird, comes at a time when over one million families are on housing waiting lists and a significant number of children are residing in temporary accommodations, such as B&Bs.
Lord Bird is advocating for a government-supported loan initiative that he believes could “unlock thousands of new social homes and alleviate the homelessness issue.” In an interview with The Mirror, he emphasized that Andy Burnham has the opportunity to demonstrate his commitment to tackling homelessness by implementing this initiative immediately upon assuming office.
Highlighting the prevalence of empty properties juxtaposed with families in need and councils struggling with temporary housing costs, Lord Bird stressed the need for innovative solutions from the new government. He proposed a scheme that would enable councils to acquire or rent out vacant homes, thus creating more social housing options and easing the homelessness crisis.
Lord Bird has introduced amendments to the Social Housing Bill in the House of Lords to facilitate the reutilization of thousands of empty properties for social housing purposes. The proposed changes seek to reduce the time frame for Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) from two years to six months, allowing councils to intervene at an earlier stage.
Recent estimates indicate that around 300,000 homes in England have been unoccupied for over six months, while over 1.3 million households are waiting for social housing, according to Shelter charity. Lord Bird’s amendment also includes the establishment of a government-backed loan scheme to assist councils in acquiring or leasing vacant properties for subsequent renovation.
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has emphasized the housing crisis as a key priority for his government. In a recent speech, he pledged to initiate the “largest council housebuilding program since the postwar era” during his tenure. He highlighted the dwindling number of council homes since the 1980s, attributing it to the impact of Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy policy, which led to a substantial decline in public housing stock.
