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Homelessness charities have welcomed government proposals to give councils powers to tackle the housing crisis by compulsorily leasing privately owned empty properties.

Under an amendment to the Housing Bill, tabled by Labour backbencher David Kidney MP, councils could takeover around 300,000 nationwide properties that have been vacant for six months, restore them and rent them at an affordable rate. The council could claim its costs back then give the rest to the owner.

A spokesperson for Crisis said that the amendment would be "a huge step in the right direction to change the current state where thousands of vulnerable homeless people are trapped in hostels, squats, emergency B&Bs and sleeping on friend's floors because they can not access move-on-accommodation".