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We continue to campaign vigorously for sustainable approaches to housing delivery, first and foremost by advocating for the retrofit and re-use of the over 1,000,000 empty homes in England. Returning empty homes to use, and retrofitting them along the way, can help in a significant way to reduce the need for new-build homes and therefore reduce the operational carbon emissions of our homes.

Retrofit has been a crucial part of our campaigning platform, with work ongoing alongside communities across Northern England to promote community-based retrofit of empty homes. In 2022 we released a report outlining the Retrofit Empty Homes Action Partnerships (REHAP) model, a tool for communities to bring together the institutional partners, funding, skills, and homes needed to facilitate community action on retrofitting empty homes. This work is currently being pursued as part of a three-year REHAP project.

A circular economy for housing means integrating long-term approaches to planning into the fabric of our homes - all buildings must be made to be reused, and we must make a concerted effort to use them in such a way that their longevity is maximised. Investing in community-based retrofit of empty homes is an important dimension of the circular economy of housing. Retrofit makes homes sustainable by increasing their energy efficiency, leading to lower energy bills for inhabitants and lower operational carbon emissions.