www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
CARMARTHENSHIRE NEWS • EDITION 10 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 Housing News Interest free loans to reduce empty homes
LANDLORDS and owners are being offered interest free loans by Carmarthenshire County Council in an effort to bring empty homes back in to use. Latest figures suggest there are
approximately 2,000 empty homes in Carmarthenshire, and the council is hoping a large number of these will be renovated and brought up to standard so that they can be released on to the market for sale or rent. The Welsh Government has set
aside £10million nationally to assist local authorities to deliver the ‘Houses in to Homes’ initiatives. Loans of up to £25,000 will be
offered per property, with funding made available up-front. There is a maximum two-year
repayment period for loans used to return a property for sale, extended to three years for properties being returned to the rental market. Loans can be offered to individuals
or businesses, and will be secured as a first or second charge against the Land Registry Title.
Cllr Tegwen Devichand, Executive
Board Member for Housing, said: “Empty homes can attract vandalism and anti-social behaviour, so we are pleased to be able to support landlords and owners to renovate their properties and recover the costs through rental income. At the same time, we are helping to provide much-needed homes for local families.” The maximum loan to value is 80
per cent, based on the current value and condition of the property offered as security, supported by an independent valuation and local authority land search. A number of considerations have
to be taken before a loan is agreed OMIT - and if the owner fails to undertake the works, the local authority may repossess
the
property and sell at auction. For further information, contact
Leighton Evans, Empty Property Co- ordinator on 01558 825403 or email
LeEvans@carmarthenshire.gov.uk Carmarthenshire County Council
Help is at hand for down sizing tenants
TENANTS who think they may be affected by the welfare reforms, in particular the ‘bedroom tax’, are being encouraged to think about swapping their home for one that would better suit their needs. The best way to do this is to register with the HomeSwapper Scheme – an
online register of properties which tenants can use to search for suitable homes in their area. In preparation for the reforms, HomeSwapper has developed ‘RightSize’
which will help tenants who are under-occupying or over-occupying and looking to exchange their home. Housing Options Manager Chris Beer said: “The site has details of almost
500 council or Housing Association properties in Carmarthenshire. And in the last 12 months, 35 Carmarthenshire council tenants have swapped homes using the scheme. “We have got computers in our contact centres that tenants can use to search
through available properties, and our teams will also be on hand to offer advice.” Register free of charge at
www.HomeSwapper.co.uk
THERE are currently over 40 spaces for tenants in Sheltered Housing Schemes across the county, particularly in the Llanelli area. The council has many schemes,
providing self-contained flats or bungalows for individuals and couples aged over 60. Schemes
Tenants enjoying the garden at Llanelli’s Llysglanymor Sheltered Scheme
usually have communal facilities such as a shared lounge, laundry and garden, and some have guest rooms that can be rented out to visiting family and friends. Most schemes also have a Sheltered Scheme Officer to offer support. Cllr Tegwen Devichand, Executive Board Member for Housing, said:
“There is always a lovely community atmosphere in our
An example of an previously run-down property in Carmarthenshire that has been brought back in to use.
can also offer interest free loans to assist owners in letting their empty property. Over a dozen home owners and landlords have been assisted in the last 12 months, with loans ranging from £500 to £5,000. All monies are paid back via the income. To be eligible,
rental
properties must have been empty for more than six months and then
agree to let at affordable housing allowances via the council’s Social Lettings Agency. Mr Richard Price, a landlord from
Llanelli, had assistance from this scheme. He said: “My property had been
empty for six months after the last tenant left it in a terrible state. It needed refurbishment which I simply could not afford as there was
no rent coming in. “I turned to the council and they
took care of everything. They arranged the repairs, agreed a repayment plan from the rent and let the property. “It was done very quickly and efficiently.
I would
recommend the service and can’t praise the scheme enough.”
Community spirit at sheltered scheme
13
highly
sheltered
schemes, and they are ideal for people who would benefit from friendship and support.” For further information about vacancies, call 01267 234567.
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