HOUSING campaigners are calling for urgent action on the more than one million homes no-one lives in this National Empty Homes Week, which begins on Monday.

The latest government data shows that 479,000 properties in England stood empty in September.

But charity Action on Empty Homes (AEH) is warning that the figure does not represent the “whole story.”

Its analysis of the data shows that there are 207,000 other empty homes covered by exemptions and do no pay council tax and are therefore not included in the figure.

There are also some 257,000 second homes known as “furnished empties” and more than 70,000 that are being used as permanent short lets.

The analysis follows research by homelessness charity Shelter last month showing that at least 271,000 people are recorded as homeless in England, including 123,000 children.

And a joint study by the Chartered institute of Housing and the Centre for Homelessness Impact found that temporary accommodation for families experiencing homelessness was costing £1.2 billion a year before the pandemic.

The AEH is calling on government to strengthen Empty Dwelling Management Order powers and remove the need to prove vandalism, anti-social behaviour or dangerous dereliction are associated with an empty home before action can be taken.

It is also calling for a new nationally funded empty homes programme with funding devolved to local councils.

AEH director Rebecca Moore said: “We must act now and long-term empty homes and unused second homes are a good place to start.

“These are homes you can’t rent and you can’t buy but they could offer vitally needed housing.

“During a national housing crisis we cannot afford to see half a million homes stand empty because of the lack of a government strategy to support councils to bring them back into use.”