This in-depth Empty Homes Week 2026 webinar, delivered by Brighid Carey, Director of Action on Empty Homes, offers a comprehensive and accessible exploration of long-term empty homes in England — their scale, their social and economic impacts, and the policy failures that allow them to persist.
Drawing on official November 2025 vacancy statistics, Brighid reveals that long-term empty homes have risen over 50% since 2016, with London seeing a staggering 138% increase. Across England, more than 1 million homes now stand empty. She connects this data with powerful insights on housing affordability, fuel poverty, health inequalities, and stalled local economies.
The session also highlights the many opportunities empty homes represent — from youth step‑down accommodation and domestic violence refuge spaces to hospital discharge solutions and community-owned regeneration projects. Stories from across the UK illustrate how empty homes can become catalysts for training, employment, neighbourhood renewal, and low‑carbon retrofit.
As sponsors of Empty Homes Week 2026, Finders International support this national conversation, helping shine a spotlight on innovative practice, policy change and local action. This webinar is a key part of that mission — providing valuable insights for officers, policymakers, housing practitioners, and anyone seeking to reshape the future of empty homes work.
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