New Forest district council’s scheme to help the homeless is proving to be successful.
Currently the council have 10 active inquires into properties and have had many inquires in to the scheme.
New Forest District council is seeking ways to combat homelessness. The scheme is putting some of the estimated 5,000 empty properties in the area back into use.
Homeowners will be able to apply for interest free loans from the council to renovate their properties, which will then be used to house those with nowhere to live.
The amount borrowed will then be paid back directly through the rent from the tenants.
This scheme has been set up to help achieve government targets to bring empty homes back into use.
The plans will also help to reduce the council’s costs of providing emergency housing in bed and breakfast accommodation. The figure for this is currently estimated at almost £126,000 for the coming year.
Senior housing and development officer at the New Forest district council, Javed Ditta told us “the owner would benefit by having capital interest free and obviously receiving the property back after the loan has been repaid in good order.
“We know that housing people in these properties that are being brought back into use wouldn’t be a problem for the council as we’ve got over 5000 applicants on the waiting list so we know that filling the properties wouldn’t be an issue for us” he said.
Picture by © Copyright Peter Facey and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
