A grant has been won to enable at least 30 empty properties in
Amber Valley to be made habitable and rented out as much needed
affordable homes.
It follows a successful bid for a £210,000 grant from the
Government to repair privately owned properties, which are to be
leased by Amber Valley Borough Council's social housing partners,
Futures Homescape.
The Council's empty property officer supported Futures
Homescape's bid for the money from the Homes and Communities Agency
which, added to previous grants, brings to £460,000 the total
amount of funding secured to bring empty properties back into use
in Amber Valley in the last 12 months.
The scheme will work by Futures Homescape entering in to a
five-year lease agreement with the empty property owner. The
housing provider will then invest an average of £7,000 in each
property to bring the home up to a rentable standard and manage the
letting and day-to-day repairs at the property for the next five
years.
In return, empty property owners gain a hassle free guaranteed
monthly income which will be paid to the owner throughout the
course of the lease from when the property is first let.
The Council's empty property officer Sue Li supported the
successful bid. She said: "It's great news. It means we can
transform empty properties into much needed homes by working with
our housing partners, it also takes the stress and hassle often
associated with renting a property away from the owners. There are
no finder's fees, inspection fees or clearance fees and no need to
worry about rent arrears or other management problems.
"It will suit owners who want an income but not the
responsibility of managing property or those who live out of the
area, which often makes property management difficult."
Futures Homescape is currently looking for suitable properties
for the scheme. Interested owners of empty properties can contact
Emma Lindley at Futures Homescape on 01773 573195 or email
emma.lindley@futureshomescape.co.uk for further information.
ENDS
Enquiries from the media to Luke Barrett, Communications Manager
01773 841655 luke.barrett@ambervalley.gov.uk