Turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse: Property guardianship with purpose

From our Head of Growth and Partnerships, Abi Carter

There are more than 600,000 dwellings sitting empty in England right now. Bearing in mind the government is aiming to build 300,000 new houses a year by the mid-2020s, and some 3.6 million people are already living in overcrowded conditions, 600,000 is likely to strike you as a pretty high number of properties going vacant.

But the fact that these homes are a wasted resource is only part of the problem.  These homes are also bad news for their owners and neighbours. The very fact they’re vacant makes them unpleasant to be near and expensive to maintain. 

Why? Because empty properties quickly fall into disrepair and become targets for anti-social behaviour. And preventing these problems with security guards or by boarding up windows and doors is very expensive and not very reliable..

At Dot Dot Dot we repurpose these empty spaces into homes for people who support a huge variety of good causes. Our property guardians keep places safe. First, they visibly inhabit them to ward off vandals, metal thieves and squatters.  And second, they rigorously report any damage or maintenance issues that would otherwise go unnoticed and increase the long-term costs of upkeep.

What sets Dot Dot Dot apart from the rest of the industry is our focus on giving these spaces a social purpose. They stop being a drain on society and on resources, and start being the base for thousands of hours of charitable activities. 

Each Dot Dot Dot guardian commits to volunteering for at least 16 hours a month. 

We house guardians who provide listening services to people at risk of suicide and those that distribute food to vulnerable members of their communities. We house guardians who provide English classes to refugees, and those that help international humanitarian organizations map road networks to improve their ability to distribute aid. And we house guardians who focus on making their communities nicer places to live, by litter picking or running virtual festivals for their neighbours.

Of course, not every empty property can easily house guardians – some are just too unsafe, others won’t be empty for long – but in London alone there are around 25,000 that have been empty for more than six months. We know we’re only scratching the surface.

In a world where CSR long ago stopped being a “nice to have” and is now a commercial and ethical imperative in the private sector, why wouldn’t you choose to turn an expensive, unsafe hindrance into an asset which helps you fulfil some of your philanthropic objectives? And in a world where the charitable sector has to supplement an under-resourced public sector, we provide local authorities with a solution which encourages people who want to help their neighbours.

The best thing about our model is that the kind of people who are driven by doing good are also the most reliable guardians. They don’t just see the space as a cheap place to live, they are emotionally invested in making it a good place to live for themselves and their neighbours. 

It’s a win-win-win situation. Our property owners get responsible guardians, which means better security. Our guardians get well-managed, affordable homes so they can focus on causes they care about. And communities get neighbours who use their extra time and energy to give back. It’s property guardianship with purpose.

You can find out more about our commitment to providing great housing to property guardians and raising standards in our industry here.