As homelessness numbers reach new heights, Somerset faces a growing challenge, with the number of long-term vacant homes rising sharply.

Recent data indicates a 24% surge in these vacant properties - the highest rise in the country - now totalling 2,638.

According to the latest available figures, there were nearly 12,000 applicants on the Homefinder Somerset scheme waiting for new homes.

The presence of ghost homes in Somerset has reached nearly 1% of all housing, a figure that surpasses the rate of second homes, which stands at a little over 1%.

Collectively, these properties contribute to over 2% of the housing not being used for primary residence, signalling a significant portion of potential homes removed from the housing market.

These 'ghost homes' represent a concerning trend in Somerset's housing landscape, where nearly 1 in every 49 houses sits idle.

The stark contrast of these empty dwellings with the rising homelessness has not gone unnoticed.

Director of Action on Empty Homes, Rebecca Moore, said: "It beggars belief that while children are growing up sharing beds in temporary accommodation, our nation has over a quarter of a million homes sitting empty.

"To say this is a national disgrace is a profound understatement.

"After more than a decade of intense housing crisis it is shocking to see long-term empty homes in England rise to over 261,000 – another 12,500 more wasted empties, while over 100,000 families are trapped in Temporary Accommodation, costing the nation over £1.7 billion pounds a year."

"A new national empty homes programme is long overdue – government needs to step up to the plate and offer funding and incentives to get these homes back into use"

"Long-term empties are a huge missed opportunity to invest in green retrofit and create new jobs"

"Action on Empty Homes calls on Government to introduce a new national empty homes programme to create additional housing supply for those in most housing need, utilising properties currently left vacant or in need of renovation."

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We have reduced the number of long-term empty homes by more than 50,000 since 2010 by giving councils powers to bring empty properties back into use to deliver new homes for communities.

"We recently laid out an ambitious long-term plan for housing and are on track to deliver one million homes this parliament."