Number of unoccupied council houses falls by 39%

There has been a decrease of 39% in the number of unoccupied council houses in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the past five years.

In 2020 there were 133 empty properties owned by BCP Council, which had fallen to 81 by November 2025.

Data from a Freedom of Information request showed a total of 9,547 council-owned houses across the area, with 9,466 currently occupied.

Kieron Wilson, portfolio holder for housing, said: "At any time, a small proportion of our council homes may be empty due to turnover."

As of November, there were 3,401 people on the waiting list for a council house.

Plans to build 937 new homes across the council's area - 257 in 2027/28 and the remaining 680 by 2034/35 - were approved in December.

It is understood that the new homes will have no gas, lower bills and greater energy efficiency.

Mr Wilson said: "Demand for affordable housing across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole remains high, with 3,401 households on our waiting list and only around 600 homes per annum becoming available for allocation.

"Provision of new affordable homes remains a key priority for the council and since April 2019, we've delivered hundreds of new homes for local people.

"Cabinet has recently backed a 30-year plan to invest in existing stock and deliver nearly 1,000 new homes."

He added: "Today, just 74 council homes are empty – only 0.7% of our stock and will soon be ready for new residents to move into."

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