GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
TO OFFER LOANS TO OWNERS OF EMPTY HOMES
Gravesham Borough Council will now offer owners of empty homes interest-free loans to help cover the cost of returning them to use, as part of the Kent-wide initiative ‘No Use Empty’.
No Use Empty, which was launched in 2005, is the UK’s leading empty homes initiative and is run by Kent County Council in partnership with all twelve local authorities across the county. To date it has returned 1,921 empty homes to use.
Gravesham Borough Council has been a partner in the No Use Empty scheme since 2009 , and has created 188 much-needed new homes by proactively targeting owners and providing them with free advice and guidance on the legal and tax issues which arise when returning a long-term empty home to use.
The Council has announced that it will also now offer owners of empty homes interest-free loans of up to £ 175k to fund repairs and renovation works on unused and derelict properties, following similar moves by Swale , Tonbridge and Malling and Tunbridge Wells earlier this year.
To date the No Use Empty scheme has issued loans totalling £5.2 million to empty home owners across Kent. Over £1 million has already been repaid and recycled back into the scheme.
Sue Howes, Lead Councillor for Housing at Gravesham Borough Council said:
“Given that there is a shortage of quality affordable housing across Gravesham, it is imperative that we take all steps possible to return the Borough’s 300 long-term empty homes to use. We are already committed to working with owners to do this, but hope that offering to provide financial assistance will encourage more to come forward and help us address this problem.”
Steve Grimshaw, Project Manager for the No Use Empty scheme said:
“It is great news that Gravesham will now be participating in the No Use Empty Loan Scheme. Empty and derelict houses are a drain on the community, have a negative impact on the price of nearby occupied properties and serve as a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour so returning them to use has a positive affect on the community as a whole. We welcome loan applications from owners of empty properties across Gravesham who want to take positive action.”
Of the 1,921 empty properties brought back into use by No Use Empty since 2005, 286 have received funding from the No Use Empty Loan Scheme.