Left to rot and forgotten- Bedford’s abandoned house crisis
Across Bedford, there is a major crisis of abandoned homes, many of which have been sitting empty for years. Across the town, houses are vandalised in graffiti and have smashed windows from previous trespassing incidents. Harry Bennington, a volunteer at the local council who helps clean the streets, shared his views on this crisis stating that “with all the funding the council receives, these houses have the potential to be reconstructed.” He further states that that he does not feel “safe to leave his house during the night”, and that sometimes he can “hear screams and thuds” causing a disturbance of peace in the town. Ultimately, this implies that other locals are feeling anxious and distressed caused by antisocial behaviour near abandoned homes. Harry, therefore, proposes that these houses should be used to help house those in need. After all, Bedford has been facing “a lot of homelessness” recently. For instance, according to Bedford Council, over 2000 people did not live in a house in May 2025; and Bedford Today reports that over 800 children were documented as homeless. Both of these examples emphasise the severity of this housing crisis.
The Phoenix Pub- Picture from facebook by Abandoned Bedford
While Harry’s suggestions are constructive, the homelessness crisis is not easy to fix: renovating abandoned homes are expensive, and give rise to land ownership issues, as well as ethical ones. This is because the process of demolishing and modifying old properties requires special permission from Bedford Council. Further issues also arrive when it comes to public interest: some locals may prefer to address other social problems, like crime (e.g. shoplifting), rather than homelessness.
Picture inside an abandoned house within Bedford. Picture taken by Heijiro Rao
Bedford Borough Council has responded to these issues related to abandoned properties and have implemented and suggested multiple strategies to combat the problem. For example, the Bedford Council has spoken to landowners about ways to secure their properties to deter trespassers, such as installing surveillance cameras as well as motion sensor alarm systems. It has also advised landowners on the appropriate steps to report incidents regarding trespassing, vandalism and theft. The council has made efforts to maintain contact with property owners to encourage them to allow the renovation to take place. However, many properties remain empty which leads to the council potentially applying serious measures such as an increase in property tax which is meant to deter landowners from leaving properties left unused for a long time so these old properties can be redeveloped and become habitable again.
Picture showcasing how these properties are left abandoned. Picture taken by Heijiro Rao
The sheer number of abandoned houses across the town of Bedford has demonstrated the scale of the crisis affecting to the safety of the locals as well as making sure everyone has a place to live. The data presented by Bedford Today related to homeless people in Bedford shows the urgency of acting and renovating the properties since it will better the lives of everyone. Bedford Brough Council however have made efforts to encourage landowners to allow construction to take place.