Empty Homes: Bringing vacant housing back into use

Empty Homes is a Nationwide Foundation initiative that invests in refurbishing empty properties to create affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Delivered in partnership with Resonance, the project turns underused housing into safe, secure homes – helping to tackle the housing crisis while strengthening local communities.

Backed by a £1 million Foundation investment, alongside government match funding, the programme mobilises around £1.67 million to bring empty homes back into use at pace.

Our goals

Empty Homes is designed to deliver immediate impact while building evidence for long-term change.

Over a five-year period, we will:

  • Bring 30 – 40 empty properties back into use within 12 to 18 months
  • Increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes for people who need them most
  • Demonstrate how quickly empty homes can be repurposed into housing
  • Support people into homes where rents do not push them into poverty
  • Strengthen the capacity and resilience of social enterprises and community organisations delivering housing

At the same time, we will build a compelling evidence base to show how repurposing empty homes can play a meaningful role in meeting housing need.

Our approach

Too many homes across England sit empty while demand for affordable housing continues to grow.

Empty Homes addresses this imbalance by investing in a specialist fund managed by Resonance, which:

  • Enables social enterprises and community organisations to purchase and refurbish empty properties
  • Provides expert support and capacity building to strengthen delivery partners
  • Uses a recyclable investment model, meaning funds can be reinvested as loans are repaid over time

By focusing on existing homes, the programme offers a faster, more sustainable route to increasing housing supply, while revitalising local neighbourhoods.

Our impact

The programme is designed to deliver both immediate housing outcomes and wider social, economic and environmental benefits.

This includes:

  • More affordable homes, created quickly from existing housing stock
  • Reduced homelessness, by supporting people into stable, secure accommodation
  • Community revitalisation, bringing empty properties back into active use
  • Environmental benefits, by reusing buildings rather than building new
  • Local economic growth, through refurbishment and investment activity

Crucially, the programme will generate real-world evidence on the economic and social value of bringing empty homes back into use.

Our purpose

The housing crisis cannot be solved by new build alone.

By unlocking the potential of empty homes, we can:

  • Deliver affordable housing more quickly
  • Make better use of existing assets
  • Reduce environmental impact
  • Support stronger, more resilient communities

Through this project, the Nationwide Foundation is building the evidence; partnerships and momentum needed to scale this approach – influencing policy, practice and investment across the housing system.

Because creating the homes we need also means making better use of the homes we already have.

“There are over 1 million empty homes in England, including over 300,00 which have remained unoccupied for longer than six months. Meanwhile, communities remain in dire need of housing. This needs to change.

Nationwide Foundation’s £1m investment into the Resonance Community Developers Fund is a powerful demonstration of what mission-driven capital can achieve. It will unlock empty homes, support local regeneration and create lasting impact in areas where affordable housing is desperately needed.” Daniel Brewer, CEO at Resonance

To find out more about The Empty Homes Project contact Programme Lead, Gary Hartin Gary.Hartin@nationwidefoundation.org.uk

For media enquiries, contact Mariama Nadworna on Mariama.Nadworna@nationwidefoundation.org.uk