The Empty Homes Agency Ltd

Downstream Building
1 London Bridge
London
SE1 9BG
Phone: 020 7022 1870
Fax: 020 7681 3214
Email: info@emptyhomes.com
Web: www.emptyhomes.com

24th April 2008

For immediate release

MAYORAL HOPEFULS VIE FOR TOP SLOT IN RESPONSE TO THE

LONDON EMPTY HOMES CHALLENGE

The Empty Homes Agency (EHA) [1] today [Thursday] reveals the results of
its London Empty Homes Challenge [2].

All the four main contenders [3] responded to the EHA’s Challenge, and all of
them have endorsed every one of the five points in the Challenge.

The EHA also examined the candidates’ manifestos to compare their

commitment to an ambitious target for reducing the number of empty homes
in London. We have given them each a score out of a possible five points [4].
The scores (in descending order) are as follows:

1st Boris Johnson (Conservative) 5 pts

2nd Ken Livingstone (Labour) 4½ pts
3rd= Siân Berry (Green) 4¼ pts
3rd= Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat) 4¼ pts

Boris Johnson takes the top slot with the most ambitious target to reduce the
number of empty homes in London [5]. Ken Livingstone, with a specific but
unambitious target [6], takes second place. Fractionally behind him are Siân
Berry and Brian Paddick, with a positive commitment but no definite target [7],
in joint third position.

Unveiling the candidates’ scores at a photocall outside London’s City Hall,

EHA Chief Executive David Ireland commented:

“It’s fantastic that all four leading contenders for Mayor have risen to the
London Empty Homes Challenge and pledged support for our five priority
actions. The closeness of the scores underlines show just how hard it’s been
to decide who’s most committed to tackling empty homes.

For photos of the City Hall unveiling, the London Empty Homes
Challenge scorecard and full details go to:
http://www.emptyhomes.com/aboutus/challenge.html
 “Vacant properties aren’t just a waste of valuable housing. They also blight
the lives of the people in whose neighbourhoods they stand and lead to more
new housebuilding than is necessary - with more than three times the CO2
emissions of refurbishment [8]. If we refurbished London’s 30,000 long-term
empty homes we could save more than a million tonnes of CO2 compared
with building new [9].

“The real challenge will be for the winning candidate to make progress in
reducing the number of empty properties, however – especially at a time
when the housing market is faltering. And, whoever the winner, the Empty
Homes Agency will be in there making sure these pledges are honoured.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. The Empty Homes Agency is an independent campaigning charity that exists to highlight the waste
of empty property in England and works with others to devise and promote sustainable solutions to bring
empty properties back into use.

2. To see the London Empty Homes Challenge in full go to

www.emptyhomes.com/documents/events_res/emptyhomesmayorchallenge.pdf.

3. Siân Berry (Green Party), Boris Johnson (Conservative Party), Ken Livingstone (Labour Party) and
Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat) were invited to respond to the Challenge in an open letter by the
EHA’s Chief Executive, David Ireland. The letter may be viewed at
www.emptyhomes.com/documents/events_res/candidates_letter280308.doc.

4. All four candidates said yes to all five questions. On question one: Will you set an ambitious target
to reduce the both the proportion and total number of London’s homes that have been empty for more
than six months? We awarded a quarter-point for saying yes but having no specific target, a half-point
for having a target that we consider unambitious, and one point for an ambitious target.

5. In his reply, Boris Johnson wrote: “I want empty homes to represent just 1 per cent. of the total
housing stock by 2011”; the current figure is around 2.7%.

6. Ken Livingstone is committed to a target to reduce the vacancy rate to 2.5% by 2016. His staff have
confirmed that “this is a commitment net. of any increases in supply”.

7. Siân Berry and Brian Paddick have both pledged to set an ambitious target to reduce the proportion
and total number of homes in London that have lain empty for six months or more, but do not offer a
specific target.

8. On average new build gives rise to 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions per house compared with 15 tonnes
for comprehensive refurbishment – a saving of 35 tonnes per home - New Tricks with Old Bricks – how
reusing old buildings can cut carbon emissions, published by the Empty Homes Agency with support
from the Building and Social Housing Foundation, 2008. For the full report, see
www.emptyhomes.com/documents/publications/reports/New Tricks With Old Bricks - final 12-03-
081.pdf.

9. 35 tonnes CO2 saving per house x 30,000 = 1,050,000.

For more details, please contact:

David Ireland, Chief Executive

t: 020 7022 1867 (w)
07941 451550 (m)
e: david.ireland@emptyhomes.com

Henry Oliver, Policy Advisor

t: 020 7022 1869 (w)
020 7231 3128 (h)
e: henry.oliver@emptyhomes.com

Shashi Ioannides, Communications Manager

t: 020 7022 1865 (w)
07957 473315 (m)
e: Shashi.Ioannides@emtyhomes.com