• Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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      5 days ago

      Because that isn’t the source. There are 700k+ empty homes in the UK. Sure build more homes, also fill the ones we have.

      Meanwhile here’s you:

      wealthy person (with all the cookies) tells worker (with one cookie) to watch out because the immigrant (with no cookies) wants the worker's cookie

      Don’t believe the rich. They’re lying to you to maintain their privilege. How many millions donated to Reform to convince you that it’s immigrants, and not the rich, that’s the problem? Immigration is down, and still these problems persist, it’s isn’t the immigrants. Wealth inequality is up, it is the wealthy.

      • Agree with you that extreme wealth inequality is our problem and that immigrants are scapegoated to distract us. Would also like to add, I think saying immigration is down is not a solid argument. If someone’s starting position is the country is already full, pointing out the rate of immigration is slower but still ongoing would be interpreted as a negative rather than a positive.

        • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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          5 days ago

          True, but if they’re dead set on blaming immigration then they’re dead set on blaming immigration. I cannot reason them out of a position they haven’t reasoned themselves in to.

          I say immigration is down to highlight immigration is being scapegoated, while also providing where the blame should lie (wealth inequality).

      • deHaga ( deHaga@feddit.uk ) 
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        5 days ago

        Those 700k aren’t just sat there empty.

        There are various reasons why a home may be vacant, including that they’re up for sale, in probate, or under renovation

        • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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          5 days ago

          No partial quotes please:

          There are various reasons why a home may be vacant, including that they’re up for sale, in probate, under renovation, are occupied solely during the week or at the weekend, have been bought as an investment or have simply been abandoned.

          Why did you chose to leave part of the sentence off. Also what’s you’re point? Some are under renovation, sure. Some are asking too high a price for sale or rent. Or, they’re second homes. Or, they’re holiday homes Or, they’re airbnbs. Or, investments. Or abandoned.

          • Action on empty homes has breakdowns:

            Long-term empty homes

            To be classed as ‘long-term empty’ a home has to be liable for council tax and to have been unfurnished and not lived in for over 6 months. This figure is increasing all the time, but as at October 2025, it was 303,143 - a rise of 14% on 2024 and over 50% up on 2016 - the year after the last national Empty Homes Programme ended.

            More here: https://www.actiononemptyhomes.org/facts-and-figures

            • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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              5 days ago

              Under second homes:

              Some may be used as Airbnb type short lets, although many of these now pay business rates and do not appear on the Council Taxbase at all. As at October 2025, there were over 268,000 of these so-called ‘second homes’.

              Am I understanding that right as a minimum of 268k in this category? As ther rest are in Holiday Let’s and

              NONE of these are included in our total vacancy figure of 1,022,433 for 2025.

              That’s a good source, thank you for that. I just used the top one of my search.

          • deHaga ( deHaga@feddit.uk ) 
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            5 days ago

            I don’t consider a home that is used Mon to Fri to be unoccupied.

            We need to build houses. It’s the best way to get broad based growth. Lots of trades.

            • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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              5 days ago

              I don’t consider a home that is used Mon to Fri to be unoccupied.

              That’s nice. I asked you why you chose to cherry pick the article and take partial quotes. Could you answer that please? Do you consider a house that’s abandoned as unoccupied? Stop cherry picking please.

              Here’s what you’re doing, knowingly or not: Reverse Gish gallop

              We need to build houses. It’s the best way to get broad based growth. Lots of trades.

              Are you under the impression that I’m against building houses?

              Here’s me:

              Sure build more homes, also fill the ones we have.

              We agree: build more homes. Do we agree to fill the ones we have?

              Had you read the article though:

              Even if the Government meets its target of 1.5 million homes over the course of the parliament, analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that under current government policy, increasing rents will cancel out all average wage growth until at least the end of the decade — meaning no improvement in affordability.

                • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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                  5 days ago

                  That’s the relevant part you muppet

                  You’re just being silly now. Are abandoned houses unoccupied? If they are, then they’re relevant. What’s the real reason you’re cherry picking.

                  That makes no sense.

                  To you maybe, it links to a report explaining why. But, given you haven’t figured out whether abandoned houses are unoccupied…

      • ikt ( Eyekaytee@aussie.zone ) 
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        5 days ago

        so why didn’t he put a tax or penalty on empty homes?

        putting a freeze on rent prices aka market intervention usually results in the market self correcting, so if the market is overwhelmed enough eventually the market will work around this by asking for bigger upfront payments, hidden extra payments, payments that don’t involve cash etc

        • Fedegenerate ( Fedegenerate@fedinsfw.app ) 
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          5 days ago

          I’m not against wealth taxes in general. No argument from me. According to the article, rent increases has far surpassed wage increases.

          There’s a few ways of addressing that, I don’t think Greens are ONLY arguing for a rent freeze, i