This article originally appeared on Shaun Bailey's website. Shaun is a London wide GLA Member and the 2021 Conservative Mayoral candidate.
Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey has said he will crack down on London's empty "ghost homes" if he replaces Sadiq Khan as the capital's mayor.
Bailey has pledged to give more money to councils to levy empty dwelling management orders, which give them legal powers to take over unoccupied properties to use as housing.
A review by housing charity Shelter earlier this year found that half of young people in the country have no chance of ever buying a home, while private renters on lower incomes spend an average of 67 per cent of their earnings on rent.
Vacant "ghost homes" are those that have been left vacant for more than two years. There are currently over 20,000 ghost homes in London, worth an estimated £13bn.