First winners of empty homes cash revealed
Wednesday, 11 July 2012 9:30 AM
Communities minister Andrew Stunell has announced the first winners of money from a government fund to bring empty homes back into use.
He revealed the recipients of the first £25.1 million of the £30 million fund on a visit to one of the successful projects with the government’s independent empty homes advisor and TV presenter George Clarke.
Newark and Sherwood Homes will get £50,000 to buy four empty properties and bring them back into use as a mix of two and three-bed houses and bungalows that will provide affordable housing for up to 20 people in the Nottinghamshire town.
Other successful bidders for money from the Empty Homes Community Fund include:
- A homesteading scheme in Stoke to refurbish terraced housing
- A scheme in Leeds to work with homeless people and volunteers to bring homes back into use
- A scheme led by Southwark Habitat for Humanity to bring homes back into use across London
- Seven schemes from YMCAs to return properties to use
- Renovated homes to provide accommodation for women at risk of domestic violence.
The fund is designed to help community groups and voluntary organisations that may have struggled to raise finance in the past. A further 20 organisations will bid for the remainder of the cash.
Andrew Stunell said: "It's great to see for myself the work being carried out to transform empty properties into safe family homes. Empty properties are a national disgrace - they attract crime and are a shocking waste of housing when millions of families need a home.”
George Clarke said: "It is so refreshing to meet people like those in Newark who are dedicated to bringing empty homes back into use. We need to find more creative and innovative ways to refurbish and remodel the many thousands of perfectly sound properties currently standing empty all over the UK.”
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