How empty buildings could help solve Britain’s housing crisis

Successive governments have failed to address the UK’s housing shortage. Instead of aiming to build more and faster, the repurposing of empty buildings would not just tackle housing and homelessness but also support the UK’s net zero goals, explains Laura Lane.

This is based on CASE research commissioned by Habitat for Humanity and M&G plc to investigate the environmental effects of retrofit housing and the transformational potential of this work in places with lots of empty buildings. The resulting report revealed a significant opportunity to harness embodied carbon in existing buildings, particularly commercial properties, to create up to half a million new homes whilst also increasing the skills base in the labour market and providing support for wider economic activity. 

Read the full article in the LSE Research for the World pages.