Before the general election, Shelter brought together their latest research, policy and data on the housing needs in England.

The charity identified 1.3 million on social housing lists including over 130,000 children in temporary housing. The sector would need to deliver 90,000 social rent houses every year for 10 years. However, investment in the social housing sector has hit rock bottom as projects lie unfinished.

To unlock this, Shelter proposes returning to use 10,500 empty homes across 10 cities. The proposal also covers incentives, such as:

• Government support for local authorities and social landlords with resource funding.

• Funding for community organizations.

• Exemption from a proportion of capital gains tax for sellers of long-term empty homes.

The cities targeted are Newcastle, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol, Greater London, the wider Bournemouth area and Plymouth, all of which have high demand for social housing and a large proportion of empty properties.

Shelter argues that long-term empty can deliver cheaper and more environmentally friendly accommodation. There is also a social impact, as dilapidated housing is improved and makes neighbourhoods less prone to anti-social issues.

Their plan identifies the funding needed at a whopping £1.25 billion. However, some moves such as ring fencing the long-term empty home and second home council tax premiums could go some way towards this. Enforcement would be more stringent in all of these cases.

The plan is ambitious, but in most cases feasible, if Council Housing and Empty Homes Officers are given more powers, and that patient investment capital returns to the sector.