Replacing Empty Spaces with Productive, Green Places

Laura Lane and Bert Provan

Published 27 March 2026

LSE research, commissioned by Habitat for Humanity GB (HFHGB) and M&G plc, highlights opportunities for the conversion of disused buildings into new homes to help tackle housing affordability and the climate crisis. While thousands of commercial buildings - vacant offices, retail units and leisure spaces - sit empty across the UK, there are an estimated 131,000 households in temporary accommodation. More than 500,000 homes could be created from empty non-residential buildings , and LSE’s Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion has found that this could be achieved in a more cost effective way, and with a lower environmental impact than creating new-build housing. The report proposes the creation of a government taskforce to coordinate national action, as well as a requirement for local authorities to publish registers of empty commercial units and assess their suitability for conversion.