Victoria Street's empty houses

I was watching Corrie the other day when I saw those two houses on Victoria Street, and it got me wondering, who lives there? We can assume Janice lives in the upstairs of the houses as the entrance to her flat is around the side of the building. But who lives downstairs?

The houses aren't the only empty places on the street, across the road there is 'Will's Builders Merchants', which has never been seen on screen. Not to mention Turner's Joinery, which remained empty for a decade before Peter Barlow finally snapped it up!