Propertymark has called on the UK government to reintroduce the Empty Homes Programme following the latest news that England has a growing issue with vacant residential properties. England used to have an Empty Homes Programme, which provided funds to bring empty homes back into use.

The programme ran between 2012-15 but was not renewed after the Tories won an outright majority that year. Recent figures from property purchasing specialist House Buyer Bureau found that 676,000 of England’s stock worth £212bn is sitting empty.

Throughout the country, 2.7% of the nation’s stock is not utilised, especially during a time where supply is short.

Nathan Emerson, CEO at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark has long called for the UK government to build more social houses, and with a general election looming round the corner, this is their opportunity to show that they are serious about tackling the housing crisis.

“We call on the UK government to commit to reintroducing the Empty Homes Programme so that England’s empty housing stock can be utilised more effectively.”