Written question WQ93897
- Asked by
- Siân GwenllianPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What is the Government's estimate of the number of a) empty homes and b) empty buildings in Wales that have the potential to be adapted for use as houses, thus helping to meet the Government's targets with regard to providing extra social housing specifically?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning
Data on empty homes from council tax administrative records are based on dwellings which are empty for six months or more (chargeable empty properties). The latest statistics for 2024-25 are available at: Chargeable empty and second homes, by year (number of dwellings) (gov.wales).
We have committed to update Public Accountability Measure/013 to measure the success of bringing back properties, which have been empty for six and 12 months, into use.
There is no similar record of the number of empty buildings that could be adapted for residential accommodation. Our Transforming Towns Programme is designed to regenerate town centres and has a particular focus on bringing empty town centre properties back into use. To date, more than 3,500 units have been brought back into use or improved under this scheme.