You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
NHF research reveals number of empty homes
A fifth of England’s empty homes are in the North West, new research from the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows.
There are just under 40,000 homes sitting empty in the region – the highest of anywhere in the country.
However, that has almost halved since 2008, when empty home numbers peaked at 73,888.
The figures are part of the NHF’s annual ‘Home Truths’ research, which provides snapshots of housing markets across England.
Housing associations completed around 3,400 homes in the North West last year and started work on about 4,300.
READ MORE
Ciaran Tully, external affairs manager for the North West at the NHF, said: “It can’t be right to leave property empty when so many are desperate for a place to live.
“Empty properties in some areas are having a profound impact on local markets and those who need housing.
“What we need is a genuine commitment to ensuring good-quality affordable housing is available at the right price, in the right places and for the right people.”
Data for the North West, the North East and the East of England was published today, with information on the other regions to be released later this week.
Empty homes have been on the rise in the North East since 2013, with 500 more lying vacant now compared to five years ago.
There are 16,300 empty homes in the region – 8% of the nation’s total.
Meanwhile, 3,200 homes lie empty in Norfolk. The number of second homes in the county has reached record levels at more than 13,000.
The NHF said this trend is pushing house prices beyond reach for many households there. A typical mortgage requires an income of £54,041, while the average salary in Norfolk is £23,500.
