Almost 13,000 homes have stood empty for at least 10 years, new figures have revealed.
Government figures show 127,000 children face being homeless at New Year.
Yet a staggering 46,964 homes have been empty for 5 years or more and 313,792 have been empty for more than six months according to an investigation by the Liberal Democrats .
Former Lib Dem leader, Tim Farron said the figures showed a "national emergency" and demanded urgent action to alleviate the housing crisis to ensure "every child has the security of a warm bed."
Just 21 councils - fewer than 1 in 10 - have made use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO) in the past five years.
