Empty Property Assistance Programme in full swing
Arun District Councils Empty Property Assistance Programme has been in place since January 2015, after the Council was provided with £150,000 of funding to enable owners of empty homes to bring their properties back into habitable use.
To date Arun District Council have provided a total of £31,000 to 7 separate home owners to help improve their properties both internally and externally, ensuring they can be re-occupied by local people in need of housing.
Cabinet member for Housing, Cllr Trevor Bence said “It is great to see this funding at work. A £5,000 non repayable loan was provided to a home owner, currently serving in the armed forces, their studio flat was empty for over two years and was in need of some work, which Arun District Council helped facilitate to bring back the property into use.
“A couple living out of the area inherited a two bedroom ground floor flat in Arun that was completely overgrown and out dated having been empty for several years. Having received information on Arun District Council empty property assistance programme, they submitted a successful application a £5,000 non repayable loan. The property was improved and has been occupied for 18 months by a local family. Both these properties and many more are all occupied and being used as their intended purpose, a home for Arun residents.”
Arun District Councils Empty Property Officer has a range of options that may be of help to owners of properties in the district that have been empty for six months or longer. Owners could be eligible for funding of up to £10,000.
Nationwide there are over 700,000 properties sitting empty, a resource that could be turned into a family home. If any Arun residents have a property sitting empty that needs improving to bring it back to use, more information about the options is available via the empty properties page. They can also report empty properties on the website.
To discuss the possibility of a guaranteed monthly rental income with management service, please contact Helen Stevens, Empty Property Officer on 01903 737788 or email helen.stevens@arun.gov.uk.