Despite working in housing I have always found this kind of thing highly objectionable as it encourages people to spy on others. If someone is fortunate to have spare properties sitting around doing nothing then as I see it it is their business and no one elses. There are probably good reasons why properties stand empty, perhaps as someone has died and there are inheritance issues, waiting for probate, etc, or the property is scheduled for refurbishment and /or sale. Identifying empty properties in this way does not mean that they will be productively brought into use for homeless families. More likely is that they will be targetted by the many squatters groups who will be avidly reading sites like these, as someone has already said. It is also all too easy for someone to falsly put someones home onto this website as it doesn't seem that a lot of checking of facts goes on before they appear on the web.

Efforts are better spent promoting and publicising current and available private sector leasing schemes.