With over 700,000 empty homes, 170,000 vacant commercial properties, and around 350,000 homeless people, taxpayers shouldn’t bear the housing burden. Empty properties could be sold to investors committed to easing homelessness for a minimum of two years post-purchase.

The cost of living has risen: rents are soaring, many mortgages have doubled, and affordable housing is scarce. Councils spend millions on emergency housing while thousands of properties lie empty. Requiring the sale of long-term vacant homes to investors who house the homeless for at least two years could cut public costs, boost investment, and turn dormant assets into sustainable housing solutions without further burdening taxpayers.