North East Lincolnshire Council should explore buying long-term empty homes and turning them into high-quality, affordable housing for local people, under new proposals from the Labour Group to Full Council.
The proposals call for the council to examine the feasibility of becoming a social housing provider, either directly or through a wholly owned housing company, and to develop a programme to acquire long-term empty properties across the borough.
There are currently 2,819 empty homes across North East Lincolnshire, including 1,348 properties that have been empty for more than six months, according to Government data cited in the council’s Housing Strategy 2023–2028. At the same time, almost 4,800 households are on the council’s housing register, with nearly 500 households identified as being in urgent or high housing need.
Labour argues that bringing existing empty properties back into use could help address housing need while also tackling neighbourhood decline, improving the condition of the housing stock, reducing anti-social behaviour and making better use of existing infrastructure.
The council currently works with private property owners through advice, grants, loans and enforcement action to encourage empty homes to be brought back into use. However, the number of long-term empty properties has remained persistently high.
The proposals would see the council investigate a more direct approach, including voluntary purchases, negotiated acquisitions and, where appropriate, the use of Compulsory Purchase Orders and other statutory powers available to local authorities.
A proposed revolving Empty Homes Regeneration Fund would also be explored, potentially combining external grants, Government funding, appropriate borrowing and income generated from properties to fund the acquisition and refurbishment of empty homes.
Any homes brought back into use would be expected to meet high standards of energy efficiency, accessibility and quality.
Subject to the council becoming a social housing provider and any necessary changes to its Housing Allocations Policy, the proposals would seek to prioritise accommodation for people including care leavers, Armed Forces veterans, victims of domestic abuse, residents leaving temporary accommodation, disabled residents requiring adapted housing and key workers where there is an identified local housing need.
The proposals also call for an annual report to Full Council setting out progress, including the number of long-term empty homes identified and returned to occupation, acquisitions completed, expenditure and income, households accommodated and recommendations for expanding the programme.
Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Emma Clough, said:
“Every long-term empty home is a missed opportunity to provide a secure and affordable home for someone who needs one. At a time when thousands of households are waiting for housing and homelessness pressures remain significant, we need to look at every option available to us.
“Bringing empty homes back into use is not just about providing much-needed housing. It is also about regenerating our communities, improving neighbourhoods, reducing anti-social behaviour and making the best possible use of the homes and infrastructure we already have.
“The Council already works with property owners to tackle empty homes, but the scale of the challenge means we should consider whether a more direct approach is needed.
“I am calling for the Council to examine the feasibility of acquiring and refurbishing long-term empty properties and retaining them as permanently affordable housing for local people.
“This would be a significant step, and any programme would need to be financially sustainable and legally robust. But we should be ambitious in exploring new ways to address the housing crisis and make sure that empty homes can once again become homes for the people of North East Lincolnshire.”
