Millions are in housing need while hundreds of thousands of homes lie empty.

New research commissioned by the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows that a staggering 8.4 million people are living in unsuitable housing in England.

It reveals that 3.6 million are living in homes that are too small and five million can’t afford their rent or are living with their parents through necessity.

A further 1.4 million are living in conditions that don’t suit access needs. Kate Henderson, chief executive for NHF, said, “The housing crisis is the biggest domestic issue that we face.”

The research suggests that in order for the housing crisis to be solved, 340,000 new homes need to be built every year for a decade.

But only 140,000 were built last year and only one in six were “affordable homes”.

The research came at the same time as a separate study showed that empty homes in England increased by 11,000 last year. There are now more than 216,000 long term empty homes in England and 400,000 people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The figures show that Tories don’t care about working class people.

There needs to be mass action to demand that people in dire living situations can get the housing that they need.

And seizing the empty homes of the rich is part of the solution.