Opinion: Resuscitating abandoned homes combats the climate crisis and housing shortages

Award winning probate research organisation, Finders International, shares their opinion on how best authorities can address severe housing shortages and combat the climate crisis by making use of the thousands of empty homes that are scattered across England. 

The UK’s built environment is responsible for a staggering 25% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. From residential to commercial buildings, the built environment is a major contributor to the climate crisis. Despite this, there has been a lack of government policy and impetus to assess and reduce these emissions.

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) warns that urgent action is needed to reduce emissions from buildings before climate deadlines are reached. The committee has highlighted a lack of policy levers to address the issue, putting the UK at risk of failing to meet its climate change targets.

The impact of the built environment on climate change is significant. The production and transportation of construction materials, the energy used to power buildings, and the disposal of waste all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Urgent action is needed to address this issue, including retrofitting existing buildings and investing in more sustainable construction materials and methods. 

Empty homes in England and the case for reuse

In England, there are over a million homes sitting empty, with over 238,000 homes being vacant for over six months. This represents a wasted resource that could be put to good use to help families in need and combat the climate crisis.

The AEH website highlights the case for bringing empty homes into use. Leaving homes empty is a waste of valuable resources, especially when there are families in need of secure housing. In England alone, 100,000 families are trapped in poor quality temporary accommodation that does not meet the standards required for permanent, secure social housing.

Bringing deserted homes into use can benefit entire neighbourhoods, especially in areas with clusters of them. Tackling empty homes in these areas should be part of wider neighbourhood initiatives that start from the perspective of the issues people face there. Communities can rebuild, but while councils can facilitate and support this, the government should also empower them and urgently invest in them. Otherwise, the much-vaunted ‘Levelling Up’ and ‘Building Back Better’ initiatives are destined to become just two more discredited soundbite slogans.

Moreover, creating homes from empty properties saves substantial amounts of material compared to building new homes, minimises the amount of land used for development, and avoids wasting embedded carbon, helping to combat climate change. Retrofitting empty homes is also cost-effective and easier to achieve when the homes are unoccupied.

Paving the way to success

The UK’s built environment is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and urgent action is needed to address this issue. Reusing empty homes is one way to reduce the impact of the built environment on climate change, while also benefiting communities and families in need of secure housing. With the right policies and investments in place, the UK can lead the way in creating a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

Free tracing of Empty Homes Owners

Finders International’s Empty Homes service can help local authorities, housing associations, and other organisations to identify and contact the owners of empty properties, allowing for a collaborative effort to bring these homes back into use. By doing so, not only can we reduce the impact of the built environment on climate change, but we can also provide secure housing for families in need.

Finders continue to promote their green credentials through their ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification. ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders. Finders International continue to be the only firm in their industry to hold this certification.

If you know of an empty property in your area or would like to learn more about Finders International’s Empty Homes service, visit our website at www.findersinternational.co.uk  or call us on +44 (0)20 7490 4935 or email public@findersinternational.co.uk . Together, we can make a positive impact on the environment and the lives of those in our communities.

Image: Finders International and Dan Meyers