By Gary Hartin, Programme Manager
Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of empty homes sit unused while the housing crisis continues to grow. Bringing these empty homes back into use is one of the fastest and most practical ways to increase affordable housing supply.
That’s why the Nationwide Foundation has invested £1 million into the Resonance Community Developers Fund. This social investment will support community housing projects to acquire and refurbish long-term empty properties, turning them into safe, secure and affordable homes.
Matched with government grant funding, this creates an initial commitment of at least £1.67 million, demonstrating how partnership working can unlock solutions to the housing crisis in the UK.
Why empty homes matter for affordable housing
There are more than 309,000 long-term empty homes in England – properties that have been vacant for six months or more. These homes already exist, with infrastructure and communities around them, yet they remain unused.
At a time when demand for affordable housing continues to rise, bringing empty homes back into use represents a significant and often overlooked opportunity. Compared with new build housing, refurbishing empty properties can be quicker, more cost-effective and more environmentally sustainable.
Unlocking empty homes is not just about numbers, it’s about providing stable homes for people who need them most, including families experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic abuse.
What’ve learned from our empty homes work
The Nationwide Foundation has been supporting the empty homes sector for over a decade through its Decent Affordable Homes strategy.
Between 2013 and 2016, we awarded £1.8 million in grants to organisations, primarily in the North of England, to bring empty properties back into use. This work brought 100 homes back into use, supporting more than 200 people move into safe, secure homes. It demonstrated the impact that targeted funding can have in unlocking existing housing, and showed that, with the right support, community organisations can play a vital role in delivering affordable homes locally.
Today, our strategy focuses on three priorities:
- Making renting work for everyone
- Delivering affordable homes
- Shaping the future of housing in the UK
Returning to the empty homes sector reflects both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency of the housing challenge.
A new approach: social investment and partnerships
This time, our approach builds on what we have learned. Alongside grant funding, we are using social investment in housing to provide secured loans that enable community organisations to scale their impact.
Through the Resonance Community Developers Fund, funding is recycled and reinvested – supporting more projects over time and helping to create a sustainable model for bringing empty homes back into use. We expect this approach to support the return of around 30-40 empty homes into use within 12-18months, demonstrating the real impact this model can achieve.
This blended finance approach of combining social investment, government funding and community delivery is key to increasing affordable housing supply in a way that lasts.
The scale of the opportunity in the UK
Despite clear benefits, progress on empty homes in the UK remains uneven.
While there is ongoing government ambition to tackle long-term empty properties through retrofitting, local authority action and potential national coordination, delivery is often fragmented. Many projects rely on short-term funding or local capacity, limiting their reach.
Yet the opportunity is clear. Unlike new housing developments, bringing empty homes back into use is not constrained by land availability, planning delays or rising construction costs. It is one of the most immediate ways to boost housing supply.
Earlier this year, a coalition of 25 organisations, including Resonance, Shelter, the Big Issue and Refuge, called on government – in an open letter to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook – to prioritise empty homes as part of the solution to the housing crisis. With a target to build 1.5 million homes, refurbishing existing properties must play a central role.
Turning ambition into action
To unlock the full potential of empty homes, we need a more coordinated and consistent approach across the housing sector.
This includes:
- Stronger alignment between national policy and local delivery
- Long-term funding for community housing projects
- Greater use of social investment to scale proven models
- Collaboration across sectors to share learning and build evidence
At the Nationwide Foundation, we are committed to playing our part – investing in solutions, supporting partners and helping to build the case for change.
Join the conversation on empty homes
Solving the housing crisis in the UK will require both new homes and better use of existing ones. Empty homes offer a practical, scalable and sustainable way to increase affordable housing supply now.
We will continue to work with partners across the sector to unlock this opportunity and drive progress.
If you are working on empty homes, affordable housing or community-led housing projects, we would welcome the chance to collaborate. Together, we can turn vacant properties into places people can call home.
