The ongoing Telegraph & Argus campaign to highlight derelict and disused land in the Bradford district in a bid to stop more greenfield development has demonstrated just how many empty properties there are around the area.

And with growing housing demand, it makes increasing sense to use some of these properties rather than building on green sites.

That solution is given added impetus today by concerns that changes to housing benefit rules will further increase demand for social housing.

The Government is planning to cut housing benefit for under-35s to the levels that apply to under-25s at the moment. And Bradford Speakout, the organisation that gives a voice to the city’s homeless, believes that could have a disastrous impact on the numbers of people living on the streets if no additional suitable accommodation is created.

They make the case that many of the city’s derelict properties would be ideally suited for supported living accommodation for those affected by the benefits change. Effectively, the change will mean those under 35 will now only get benefits equating to renting a room in a shared house.

The concern is that there will simply not be enough suitable living accommodation for those directly affected by the change.

Speakout make the point that social issues this causes could well end up costing the country more than any savings from the cuts to benefits.

Few would argue there is certainly a very good case to look at the way housing benefit is paid at the moment and see if a more sensible system can be introduced. But there needs to be a rounded approach to this. The city has many empty residential properties.

There is already a large demand for social housing which may well increase dramatically when this benefit change kicks in next year. Can it be that difficult to square this circle?