The UK is experiencing a housing crisis, but a key part of the solution may already exist in the form of empty and underused buildings. At the National Housing Federation‘s ‘Board Leadership Conference 2025’, our National Director, Dr Henrietta Blackmore, shared insights on how repurposing these spaces can expand affordable housing while also contributing to sustainability goals.
The Opportunity: Empty Buildings into Homes
Speaking as part of the panel discussion on ‘Developing a Sustainable Sector’, Henrietta highlighted the urgent need to rethink how we utilise existing buildings to address both housing shortages and environmental impact. Across the UK, thousands of buildings sit empty while the demand for affordable housing continues to grow. Our research found that local authorities alone owned at least 7,000 non-residential buildings left vacant for over a year, a number that has likely increased due to changing work and retail patterns post-Covid. Instead of allowing these spaces to remain underused, they can be transformed into high-quality social housing, reducing embodied carbon and revitalising communities.
Climate-First Approach
Sustainability is at the heart of this strategy. While energy-efficient new builds are important, up to 30% of a home’s total climate impact comes from embodied carbon: the materials, construction, and eventual demolition. As the saying goes, “the greenest building is the one that is already built.” By prioritising the conversion of empty buildings into homes, we can significantly cut carbon emissions while addressing urgent housing needs.
Building Sustainable Communities
Not all conversions are created equal. While luxury apartment redevelopments and low-quality permitted development schemes exist, housing associations and developers must prioritise high-quality, community-focused solutions. In Barking and Dagenham, we partnered with the local authority to convert empty retail units into homes designed specifically for care leavers, demonstrating how thoughtful planning can create lasting impact.
Repurposing empty spaces into homes also means making use of existing infrastructure, ensuring that new housing is well-connected to transport links, public services, and community hubs. This approach not only provides sustainable housing but also helps rejuvenate struggling town centres and neglected areas.
The Power of Partnership
For large-scale change, collaboration is key. A local taskforce approach, bringing together housing associations, councils, public sector partners, and community representatives, ensures the right buildings are identified and transformed effectively. With government pressure mounting to meet the 1.5 million home target, now is the time to act.
Get Involved
To support adaption of our Empty Spaces to Homes model, we developed the Empty Spaces to Homes Toolkit, with funding from M&G PLC our UK flagship partner for that phase of the project. The toolkit is an open-source guide designed to help local authorities, community groups, and housing associations transform vacant commercial spaces into high-quality social housing. Drawing on our experience with projects in London, Poland, and Scotland, the toolkit shares practical strategies for repurposing vacant spaces at scale. With thousands of empty commercial buildings across the UK, the potential to create affordable homes is significant.
This year, we’re updating the toolkit specifically for housing associations and other key stakeholders, ensuring they have the resources needed to take action. If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch with our UK Housing Advocacy Manager, Guy Parker at: GParker@habitatforhumanity.org.uk
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