Liberal Democrats in York have called for a national Empty Homes Programme to give local councils powers to bring empty houses back into use, after it emerged the number of properties standing empty in York almost DOUBLED over 10 years.
Think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said new census figures showed that, at the time of the March 2021 census, there were 5,245 homes recorded as unoccupied in York.
That represents almost six per cent of the city’s entire housing stock of 90,645 homes. In the 2011 census, by contrast, just 3.6 per cent of city homes were unoccupied on census day.
The IPPR admits the latest census took place during the coronavirus pandemic, and that ‘unoccupied dwelling figures’ may be inflated because of people living with parents or students returning home.
But other likely reasons why York homes are unoccupied include them being converted into holiday homes - or investors simply sitting on them waiting for prices to rise.
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- More than 700 York homes sitting empty for over six months
- Rise in house prices in York last year - median at £290,250
- Council tax set to double for 429 owners of York second homes
Cllr Nigel Ayre, leader of the Liberal Democrats who have run City of York Council in coalition with the Greens since the last election, today called for local authorities to be given more powers to bring empty homes back into use.
“York cannot afford to have large numbers of homes lying empty and unoccupied for most of the year, when there are many people in need of housing,” he said.
“We continue to work with developers and home owners to bring empty homes back into use, imposing a council tax premium on empty homes, with second homes also set to be charged double council tax as soon as legislation is passed in parliament.
“However … councils do not have adequate powers and funds to bring empties back into use quickly. We need a national Empty Homes Programme (and) urgent Government investment to …bring wasted empty homes back into use.”
York Central’s Labour MP Rachael Maskell expressed shock at the number of empty homes in the city.
“To learn that 5,425 homes have been sitting empty in York is unacceptable, when families are living in cramped and often damp homes, and many cannot access a property to buy or rent,” she said.
She called for a ‘comprehensive review of York’s housing stock’.
“Too many homes are being built for investors and not for people in housing need,” she said.
“The Government must be held to account for the sharp rise in empty homes, not least for the way that ‘airbnbs’ have sprung up throughout the city centre.”
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Labour's housing spokesperson on City of York Council, added:
“This census data will confirm what most York residents already know, that the housing market is failing the city.
"At a time when so many are in desperate need for affordable housing we are seeing a huge increase in short term holiday lets, second homes and developers marketing houses for investors when the real need is for York’s workers and young people to be able to find homes they can afford to live in.
"Even the council are not immune, with properties being left void for long periods.
"Government has failed the people of York over the past 13 years in creating this environment and they need to legislate to control the holiday let market or we will continue to see the numbers of homes used only for Airbnb-type accommodation rising. The council needs to play it’s part, which it has sadly failed to do, to create much more genuinely affordable housing and to crack down on the short term letting houses that can cause so much misery for their neighbours.”
Cllr Paul Doughty, leader of the Conservative group on City of York Council, said there could be legitimate reasons for properties standing empty.
Some might be empty because of investors waiting for prices to rise, he admitted. “But there could also be genuine cases, for example around long probate processes after a death.”
He said recent changes allowing councils to double council tax after a long period of a property remaining empty may see the trend reverse.
But he added: “The council needs to examine the reasons for the properties lying empty.”
Green councillor Denise Craghill said that, because the 2021 census took place during lockdown, the data may be ‘not a very accurate representation of the number of homes that are actually empty’.
But she added the number of homes being used as full-time holiday lets in York needed to be addressed.
“We need to follow up on the council commitment to build our own local evidence base on this so we can bring in further controls when powers are available,” she said.
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