National Empty Homes Week: Southwark Liberal Democrats Renew Call for Action
National Empty Homes Week: Southwark Liberal Democrats Renew Call for Action
In National Empty Homes week (3-9th March), the Southwark Liberal Democrats have renewed their call for action over the 2531 empty homes in Southwark – the most in London and one of the most in the country.
According to a Freedom of Information request from the Liberal Democrats, the Labour-run local authority has still not used Empty Homes Management Orders or Compulsory Purchase Orders – powers which can be used to take over management or directly purchase homes that are long term empty.
Southwark itself has 1238 vacant council homes that it owns – the most in the country.
The Liberal Democrats say that every lever necessary should be pulled to ensure that there is as much housing supply as possible, and have slammed the council for its failure to make use of empty homes whilst homelessness and social housing need continues to rise.
Latest statistics from internal queries by the Liberal Democrats have revealed that Southwark’s waiting list is now at almost 19,000 households.
Coming after the news that Canada Water’s affordable homes may now only make up 10% of homes in the development, the Southwark Liberal Democrats are warning that many of the homes being built in the borough may end up in the hands of overseas investors rather than people living in Southwark.
One Blackfriars - the development near Blackfriars completed in 2018 which built zero on-site affordable housing - has just 15% of flats where anyone is confirmed as being on the electoral roll.
Commenting, Southwark Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:
“This Labour council is failing across the housing agenda. It’s not building enough genuinely affordable homes, and has overseen our borough become the empty homes capital of the country. With the proportion of affordable homes in new developments collapsing across Southwark, we’re just seeing more luxury flats built to pad out investment portfolios rather than real homes for local people – so our empty homes problem is only going to get worse!"