So do I...they (at least part of the squatting community in the 80s/90s) are a big contributor to what London is today and none of them criminal scumbags. They also run their own businesses and some bought their properties from the Council. In fact they're probably jackgavigan's boss hah ha!

But I do take the point about the cost of evicting plus lost revenue. Use of empty properties could be a good solution for homelessness if well managed but the Govt. doesn't want to put resources towards that because it's easier to let charities deal with it.