An innovative housing programme which will see empty homes renovated and brought back into use is expected to be rolled out across Stoke-on-Trent following city council cabinet approval later this month.
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The £3m scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, will see a cluster of 35 council owned empty homes sold with the benefit of a loan to make essential repairs. The full cost of each house will be an up to £30,000 loan to carry out work to bring the house up to the decent home standard plus a £1 to buy the property.
To qualify for this one off project, people will have to demonstrate that they are economically active candidates, and commit to living in the property for at least five years in order to fully engage in the regeneration of the area. As a safeguard against abuse robust measures will be put in place during the contract process to prevent selling the property early or renting the property out.
The target customers are working families who already live and work in Stoke-on-Trent for a certain period of time and are on low income and struggled to get a mortgage.
The overall programme will target two areas in Stoke-on-Trent; the Portland Street area in the City Centre and the Bond Street area in Tunstall. Portland Street was identified as a declining area in the city during the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme with a vacancy rate of 18%. This is the area where the houses will be for sale.
In addition to loans of up to £30,000 there will also be additional funding made available to private landlords of empty homes in these areas to bring their properties back to a decent living standard.
The aim is to bring a total of 124 properties back into use and improve the overall appearance of the city, while also reducing crime and increasing the housing supply.
Councillor Janine Bridges, cabinet member for housing, neighbourhoods and community safety, said:
“This is a daring and innovative scheme which we are developing to bring empty properties back into use and improve the living standards of homes within Stoke-on-Trent; a key goal of the council’s Mandate for Change. We are keen to make Stoke-on-Trent a great place to live, work and visit.
“The idea would mean the council sells empty properties acquired with Housing Market Renewal Grant and provide new home owners with a loan of up to £30,000 to implement a series of improvement works that the council deems necessary to bring the property back to a decent home standard. Owners of long term empty homes may also be offered a loan with the same conditions.
“This money would then be paid back to the council as part of a loan repayment scheme and reinvested to improve other empty properties in the city.”
Cabinet will be asked to approve and match the grant offer of £1.5m from the Government’s Bringing Clusters of Empty Homes Into Use fund. This funding will be granted over a two year period.
If agreed by cabinet, the city council will consult with residents of these areas and with their views shape how the project will be taken forward.
In total 4,918 properties are empty within Stoke-on-Trent of which 2,107 are classed as long term empty.
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