> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://housing-base.journalismarena.eu/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://housing-base.journalismarena.eu/empty-homes/media-reports/housing-crisis-more-than-200-000-homes-in-england-lie-empty-the-guardian-20-apr-2017.md). # Housing crisis: more than 200,000 homes in England lie empty (The Guardian, 20 Apr 2017) * **Housing crisis: more than 200,000 homes in England lie empty** * By Phillip Inmann. Published in the Guardian on 20 April 2017 * * **Summary**: * "**More than 200,000 homes in England with a total value of £43bn were empty for at least six months during 2016** despite the desperate shortage of properties to rent and buy. * According to **official figures,** **Birmingham** was the worst affected city outside **London** with 4,397 empty homes worth an estimated £956m, followed by **Bradford** and **Liverpool**. * The wealthy borough of Kensington and Chelsea was the worst performer in London as super-rich owners rejected renting them out or selling up in favour of leaving their properties lying idle. * The royal borough had 1,399 empty homes worth £664m, compared with second-placed Croydon, which had 1,216 empty homes worth £577m. Across London there were 19,845 homes sitting idle for over six months in 2016, which amounted to £9.4bn worth of property, based on the average price in London of £474,704. * In response squatters groups have sought to occupy empty homes, with one group in January [taking over a £15m central London property](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jan/27/squatters-open-oligarchs-empty-london-property-as-homeless-shelter) purchased by a Russian oligarch in 2014 to open it as a homeless shelter." * **Keywords**: UK, taxes, vacant property, empty dwelling, local councils, big landlords