National Empty Homes Week

National Empty Homes Week

This National Empty Homes Week (27 February to 5 March) Conwy County Borough Council is highlighting the assistance available to owners of empty properties, including commercial premises, to help unlock housing potential.

Conwy has around 1,700 households on its waiting list for all types of properties. At any one time, the county has around 2,500 privately owned, empty properties. Many of these are temporarily empty and will come back into use within a few months. But around 1,500 will remain empty for longer than 6 months and some for many years, whilst people are struggling to find affordable accommodation in the area.

The Council is encouraging empty property owners to get in touch to find out about the help that could be available to bring the wasted resource of these empty properties back into use.

 A range of initiatives are available:

• An interest-free property improvement loan of up to £35,000 is available for properties that have been empty for 6 months or more which need work to enable them to be sold or let at the end of refurbishment.

• Grants of up to £20,000 are available for work to properties that have been empty for 6 months. And to landlords who are considering buying a property that has been empty for that period of time, who would be willing to rent the properties to people in a housing need, at an affordable rate, for at least 5 years.

• Leasing schemes are available for empty properties. Grants range from £5,000 to £25,000 (maximum available if the property has been empty for 6 months or more) to complete works identified by the Council, in exchange for a lease of the property (5 to 20 years). During which time repairs and maintenance are covered, the rent is guaranteed and full management and support is provided to tenants.

Cllr Emily Owen, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory, said "Housing touches on every aspect of people's lives. By bringing an empty home back into use, we can help towards the Council’s aim for people in Conwy to have access to affordable, appropriate and good quality accommodation.”

For more information, property owners can visit the Council website www.conwy.gov.uk/emptyhomes, or contact the Council’s Empty Homes Officers 01492 574633 or 01492 574235 or emptyhomes@conwy.gov.uk