Scandal of Europe's 11m empty homes

More than 11m homes lie empty across Europe – enough to house all of the continent's homeless twice over. Housing campaigners said the incredible number of homes lying empty while millions of poor people were crying out for shelter was a shocking waste. "It's incredible. It's a massive number," said David Ireland, chief executive of the Empty Homes charity, which campaigns for vacant homes to be made available for those who need housing. FEANTSA, an umbrella organisation of homelessness bodies across Europe, said it was a scandal that so many homes have been allowed to lie empty. "Governments should do as much as possible to put empty homes on the market. The problem of homelessness is getting worse across the whole of the European Union. The best way to resolve it is to put empty homes on the market."