NEARLY a quarter of a million homes are standing empty, according to think tank organisation IPPR North.

It said the current housing crisis could be eased by bringing the 218,000 long-term empty homes in England back into use.

IPPR North said councils should be allowed to decide their own taxes and funding programmes for empty homes.

Bill Davies, a research fellow at IPPR North, said: “More fundamental changes are needed to address the housing crisis – mainly a massive increase in house building – but bringing empty homes back into use can ease the strain faced by people at the sharp end of the housing shortage.”