Empty homes and fraud. Did you know that empty homes can be targets of fraud? Taylor Emmet published a list of ways in which property fraud can be committed – even impersonation of the owner in order to sell the house. Read more here.

Give away empty homes to the homeless. Chris Bailey from Action on Empty Homes calls for empty homes to be given to the homeless. Identifying the high numbers of long-term empty property in the North East, Action on Empty Homes suggests that: ‘Councils need better powers and government needs to back them with investment that will actually save our country and our hard-pressed local councils money.’ Read more here.

High numbers of long-term empty property in the North East of England. The North East has 50,000 empty homes, in an area of great deprivation and in need of social housing: ‘Data shows that the areas with the highest number of empty properties are Middlesbrough, Durham and Gateshead.’ Read more about the numbers here.

The richest part of the U.K. also has a huge proportion of long-term empty property. Time Out has published the locations highest levels of empty homes in England and Wales. There are some surprising findings, including Kensington and Chelsea in London

An empty city the size of Manchester? A recent study showed that in the U.K., the number of empty homes is equivalent to a city the size of Manchester, with one million abandoned properties, which is equivalent to the entire housing stock of Manchester.

Would you like a loan to buy an empty home? Burnley Council is lending people money to buy empty homes. One council is bringing in loans to help with tackling the empty homes crisis in their city, putting into practice an innovative policy. The Council state: ‘… we are helping to provide good quality homes and, at the same time, cutting the number of vacant properties that can fall derelict and be an eyesore and a magnet for anti-social behaviour.’ Read more here.