Nobody's home: Hundreds of Bedford homes sitting empty for more than six months

Hundreds of homes in Bedford have been sitting empty for more than six months, amid a housing crisis which has left scores of people across England trapped in temporary accommodation.

Campaign group Action on Empty Homes called the latest figures "shocking" after they revealed long-term empties across the country have risen to the highest level in a decade outside of the coronavirus pandemic.

Data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows at least 726 homes liable for council tax in Bedford had been unoccupied for at least six months at the most recent count in October.

It meant the number of homes gathering dust for at least half a year has increased by 7% from 676 in 2021, and 16% compared to 628 in 2012.

The properties deemed long-term empty were among a total of 2,083 vacant homes counted in Bedford in October.

Owners of properties which have lain empty for two years or more can be charged an extra 100% council tax on top of their bill – rising to as much as 300% if the home has been empty for a decade or longer.

Chris Bailey, national campaign manager for Action on Empty Homes, said: "After more than a decade of intense housing crisis it is shocking to see long-term empty homes in England rise to 250,000 – another 11,000 more wasted empties, while nearly 100,000 families are trapped in temporary accommodation, costing the nation over £1.5 billion pounds a year."

He added that long-term empty homes are a "huge missed opportunity" to create new jobs through low-carbon retrofitting.

Separate DLUHC figures show 94,870 households were in temporary accommodation at the end of June – including 442 in Bedford.

And between April and June, ​309 Bedford households were entitled to support after becoming homeless or being put at risk of homelessness, putting them among 69,180 across England.

A DLUHC spokesperson said the Government is "taking action to get empty homes back into use".