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Labour would buy up 8,000 new homes "immediately" for rough sleepers, Jeremy Corbyn vowed today.

Under the major scheme, housing associations would bump homeless people to the top of their waiting list - in exchange for enough cash to build a replacement home.

Rough sleeping has more than doubled since 2010 and rose 15% last year alone.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show a Labour government would "immediately purchase 8,000 properties across the country to give immediate housing to those people that are currently homeless."

The policy would apply to recent rough sleepers identified by outreach workers as being in need.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Aides confirmed central government would not actually buy the homes, but would give housing associations funding to build a replacement home for each homeless person they took on.

The 8,000 homes in question - double Labour's previous pledge - would continue to be managed by housing associations.

Meanwhile Mr Corbyn also vowed to hand councils the power to "take over" luxury flats that are left vacant deliberately.

Asked if vacant flat owners could be forced to put homeless people in them, Labour’s leader said: "We would give local authorities the power to take over deliberately kept vacant properties.

"In the middle of an area where there is a lot of housing stress... you get some luxury, glossy, glistening, block built, sold off-plan to long distant overseas investors who may buy and sell it before it’s even built.

"Well, hang on, let’s look at the social priorities here.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

"Many people are homeless, many people are living in overcrowded accommodation, many middle class families’ children cannot leave home because they cannot raise the deposit for a private rented flat."

Despite Mr Corbyn’s pledge, aides insisted the two policies were separate - and that his vow to "take over" luxury flats would not involve requisitioning them or moving homeless people into them.

Instead aides said the plans were spelt out in Labour's 2017 manifesto, which vowed to extend Empty Dwelling Management Orders.

These orders allow councils to force vacant homes into use but do not involve the state taking legal ownership of them.

The manifesto also pledged to slap a premium of 300% of the normal council tax value on homes left empty for more than a year.

Shadow Secretary of State for Housing John Healey said: “The rising number of people sleeping rough shames us all.”

The new policy is part of Labour’s plan to end rough sleeping within their first term in office.

Is Jeremy Corbyn 'seizing luxury flats for the homeless'? A recent BBC interview has led to claims Jeremy Corbyn would seize luxury flats to put homeless people in them. It sounded a bit like he was saying that. But aides say the reality is more complicated. Firstly, Mr Corbyn said Labour would "immediately purchase 8,000 properties" to provide a place for homeless people to live. That's not quite true. In fact, aides say, those homes would continue to be managed by housing associations. But the associations would get enough funding to build a brand-new replacement home for each homeless person they take on. Secondly, he vowed: "We would give local authorities the power to take over deliberately kept vacant properties." Aides say he was actually just talking about Labour's 2017 manifesto. That promised to extend Empty Dwelling Management Orders and hike council tax on empty flats. Neither of these involve government taking ownership of private property. Importantly aides stress that these are two separate policies. The first involves social housing; the second is about private property.

Back our pledge to beat crisis: John Healey MP, Former Housing Minister

(Image: PA)

Theresa May promised a country that works for everyone.

Nothing exposes how meaningless that is than the thousands of people who will sleep rough tonight.

Under Conservatives it’s getting worse – a terrible reminder of the consequences of their government.

The crisis is not inevitable, it’s the result of Tory ministers’ decisions since 2010 – from record lows in new affordable rented homes, to a lack of help for private renters, to deep cuts to benefits and charity funding.

My Labour pledge is that we’ll end rough sleeping within our first term in office, and put in place the wider measures needed to tackle the root causes of rising homelessness.

After eight years of relentless rising homelessness, enough is enough.

Theresa May should support our pledge to end rough sleeping, and back our policies to make it happen.