Flats for homeless still empty a year after sale

A block of flats bought by Leicester City Council to help meet demand for temporary accommodation is still empty after more than a year.

The authority purchased the Yoho building in York Street in February 2025 for £10.9m.

However, an issue over licensing has meant the authority has been unable to use the building, with 24-hour on-site security costing between £10,000 and £12,000 per month.

A council spokesperson said an application for a certificate allowing for building works to take place, which will then allow the site to open, was submitted on 8 May.

The centre, which was previously student accommodation, was built in 2019 and has stood vacant since 2020, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The council previously said the flats would help offer temporary accommodation for single people and couples who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

However, the council needs a certificate from the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before it can start work to bring the site up to standard.

Green Party city councillor Patrick Kitterick told the BBC: "I have huge concerns about that building because the council spent £11m on it a year ago and it still can't give any indication of when it might open.

"It's taken them months even to apply for a certificate so they can use it and there's no guarantee it will be granted.

"Every month this continues it's costing taxpayers more than £10,000 to keep it secure."

The council said it applied for the certificate in February.

According to the authority, the use of the building will reduce its spend by about £2.8m a year from outsourced housing costs.

A spokesperson for Leicester City Council said the purchase of the building was "a vital part of our plans to ensure no-one needs to stay in unsuitable emergency temporary accommodation for any length of time".

They added it will provide "high-quality units with cooking and clothes-washing facilities which are not available in hotels and B&Bs".

The spokesperson said: "The alteration works will be funded by the Housing Network which will be managing the Yoho building once occupied.

"Upon completion of the planned alterations, a Gateway 3 application will then need to be made to Building Safety Regulator.

"This will determine the opening date of the Yoho building."

Additional reporting by Dan Martin, BBC Leicester.

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