Andy Burnham is being urged to grant councils enhanced powers to acquire or rent vacant properties to address the homelessness issue. This appeal from Lord John Bird, the founder of Big Issue, comes as over a million families remain on waiting lists and a record number of children are living in temporary accommodations, such as B&Bs.
The independent peer is advocating for a government-supported loan program that he believes would facilitate the creation of numerous new social housing units and alleviate the homelessness crisis. Lord Bird emphasized the importance of Burnham demonstrating a strong commitment to addressing homelessness by implementing this initiative early in his tenure.
Highlighting the prevalence of empty properties alongside the housing needs of families, Lord Bird stressed the necessity for innovative approaches to tackle the challenges faced by society. To this end, he has proposed amendments to the Social Housing Bill in the House of Lords to repurpose thousands of vacant homes for social housing by reducing the time frame for Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) intervention.
Statistics indicate that approximately 300,000 homes in England have been unoccupied for over six months, while more than 1.3 million households are awaiting social housing placements, according to Shelter. Lord Bird’s proposed amendment also seeks to establish a government-backed loan scheme to support councils in acquiring or leasing vacant properties for subsequent refurbishment.
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already expressed a clear commitment to addressing the housing crisis, vowing to initiate the most extensive council housebuilding program since the postwar era to combat the housing shortage. He highlighted the drastic decline in public housing stock since the 1980s due to policies like Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive housing solutions.
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