Councils should be allowed to decide their own taxes and funding scheme for empty homes, under plans published by think tank IPPR North.
IPPR North is calling for ‘radical’ reforms to bring nearly a quarter of a million empty homes back into use. It argues bringing the 218,000 long-term empty homes back into use could ease the housing crisis and reduce homelessness.
The think tank is also calling on the next government to cut the qualifying period for taxing homes from two years down to one.
Bill Davies, research fellow at IPPR North, said: ‘It's totally unacceptable to think that while thousands of people are homeless, we have nearly a quarter of a million properties that stand empty.
‘With a better tax and funding system, we can bring more homes onto the market, and encourage those holding empty properties to fund the costs of those who don’t have a place to call home.’
