Revealed: Thousands of Empty Homes Across 12 Kent Districts While Families Wait Years for Housing

Using publicly available data published by the Department of Levelling UP Housing & Communities on vacant dwellings (empty homes) and households on waiting lists for 12 local authority districts in Kent, from 2020 through 2024, we analyze for each year whether there were enough vacant homes to house all waiting households. We assume a 1:1 match (one vacant dwelling can house one household). The tables below give a year-by-year breakdown for each council, indicating a surplus (more vacant homes than waiting households) or a shortage (fewer vacant homes than waiting households) in that year.

2020

In 2020, 9 out of 12 councils had more vacant dwellings than households on their waiting list. Only Canterbury, Gravesham, and Tonbridge & Malling did not have enough vacant properties to accommodate all waiting households (i.e. they faced shortages). Gravesham had the largest shortfall (991 more households waiting than empty homes), while other areas like Thanet and Maidstone had significant surpluses (500+ more vacant homes than waiting households).

2021

In 2021, the situation improved slightly – 10 councils had a surplus of vacant homes, and only Canterbury and Gravesham remained in deficit. All others had enough (or nearly enough) vacant dwellings to house their waiting households. Notably, Tonbridge & Malling moved from a shortage in 2020 to essentially breaking even in 2021 (a small surplus of 11 homes). Canterbury and Gravesham still faced shortages of several hundred units.

2022

In 2022, the number of councils with shortages rose to 4. Canterbury, Dartford, Gravesham, and Tonbridge & Malling all had more households waiting than vacant homes available. Canterbury’s shortfall widened to over 500, the largest deficit that year. Dartford and Gravesham also had notable shortages (~100–200). The other 8 councils maintained surpluses – for example, Maidstone, Thanet, and Tunbridge Wells each had hundreds more vacant dwellings than waiting households (Maidstone’s surplus was 840). Ashford was nearly balanced in 2022, with just 9 more vacant homes than households waiting.

2023

By 2023, most councils were again in surplus – 10 out of 12 had enough vacant dwellings to cover their waiting lists. Only Canterbury and Dartford had shortages (short by 278 and 52 homes, respectively). Gravesham notably turned its situation around, moving from a deficit in prior years to a small surplus in 2023. Several councils saw their surpluses grow: Thanet, for instance, had 1,512 more vacant homes than waiting households – the largest surplus observed in this period – due in part to a declining waiting list. Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells also enjoyed substantial surpluses by 2023.

2024

In 2024, four councils faced shortages while the rest had surpluses. Ashford, Dartford, Gravesham, and Swale did not have enough vacant dwellings for their waiting households. Ashford and Swale, which previously had surpluses, saw their situations reverse – by 2024 they had shortages of 237 and 143 units respectively (due to rising waiting list numbers coupled with fewer vacants). Dartford’s deficit widened (175 short, after two years of shortfall). Gravesham had a very small shortfall (40). All other councils had surplus capacity. Notably, Tonbridge & Malling achieved a very large surplus (1,189) after a drastic drop in its waiting list in 2024, and Thanet and Tunbridge Wells also maintained large surpluses. Canterbury’s 2024 waiting list figure was not available ([x] in the data), but given its high vacant count (2466) and past trends (shortfalls in previous years), it’s unclear if a surplus was reached – that data gap means Canterbury’s 2024 status could not be determined.

Note: “[x]” indicates data not available.

Key Insights and Trends (2020–2024)

• Most councils had surplus capacity each year: In every year, a majority of these local authorities had more vacant homes than waiting households. The total vacant dwellings across all 12 districts exceeded the total number of waiting households region-wide each year, suggesting that in aggregate there were enough homes – the issue lay in distribution across councils.

• Persistent shortfalls in some areas: Canterbury consistently had a shortage of vacant homes throughout 2020–2023 (and likely in 2024, though data is missing). It struggled to house all waiting households in any year, with shortfalls ranging roughly from 185 to over 500. Gravesham also started with a severe deficit (nearly 1,000 in 2020) but improved over time.

• Improvement and reversal: Some councils managed to eliminate or reverse their shortages. For example, Tonbridge & Malling went from a shortage in 2020 to a balanced situation in 2021, and by 2024 had one of the largest surpluses after its waiting list plummeted. Gravesham turned a large shortfall into a small surplus by 2023 (though it had a negligible shortage again in 2024). This indicates successful reduction of waiting lists and/or increases in available vacant homes in those areas.

• Emergence of new shortages: Conversely, a few councils that initially had surpluses saw their situations worsen by 2024. Ashford and Swale are notable – both had modest surpluses in earlier years but fell into shortage by 2024 as their waiting lists grew faster than the supply of vacant dwellings. Dartford likewise shifted from surplus in 2020–21 to shortages from 2022 onward, indicating rising unmet housing demand there.

• Growing surpluses in other districts: Councils like Maidstone, Thanet, Tunbridge Wells, and Sevenoaks maintained healthy surpluses throughout the period. In some cases their surpluses grew over time – for instance, Thanet’s surplus increased substantially by 2023–2024 due to a combination of high vacant stock and declining waiting list numbers. These areas consistently had more than enough empty properties to house all families on their waiting lists.

Overall, the period 2020–2024 saw most Kent districts able to accommodate their waiting households with existing vacant dwellings, but a shifting subset of councils faced shortages in certain years. Addressing the mismatch in specific localities (like Canterbury’s persistent deficit or the emerging shortfalls in Ashford and Swale) is key – since the aggregate supply of vacant homes in the region was ample, better distribution or utilization of those vacancies could potentially reduce or eliminate waiting list housing needs in the councils that experienced shortfalls.

Do you have a housing issue – either Council or Private Rented Sector? If so, do contact us at TheShepwayVoxTeam@proton.me  – in confidence. 

The Shepway Vox Team

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