Liverpool City Council using cash from £7.3m fund to pay landlords and property owners to renovate homes and bring them back into use. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool City Council is offering grants to landlords and property owners to help bring their properties back into use and alleviate the city’s homes shortage.

It has launched a £7.3m Empty Homes Grant scheme, offering grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 to help renovate properties that have been standing empty for at least a year.

This is aimed at homes that already exist but have fallen out of use, turning them into places to live for people who are registered on the city’s housing waiting list.

Under the scheme, owners who receive funding will be required to bring properties up to a legally compliant standard, removing serious hazards such as unsafe wiring or gas faults and dealing with excess cold.

In return, the homes will be made available as affordable rented accommodation, helping families who are struggling to find somewhere to live offering them a chance of having a permanent home.

Cllr Hetty Wood, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Empty homes are a waste when so many people across our city are desperate for somewhere safe and secure to live.

“This grant scheme is about giving owners practical help to bring properties back into use, while making sure public investment delivers real benefits for local people.

“Every home we can bring back into use is a home that could help a family move out of temporary accommodation, reduce pressure on our housing services and improve neighbourhoods that have suffered from blight for far too long.”

Council figures show that bringing empty homes back into use can be quicker and more cost effective than building new properties, while also improving the look and feel of streets affected by long term vacancy.

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These grants form part of a wider approach to tackling empty homes, combining financial support for owners who want to do the right thing with tougher enforcement action for those who allow properties to fall into serious disrepair.

Applicants must meet eligibility criteria, including owning the property, having no outstanding council tax arrears, and ensuring the property has been empty for at least 12 months. The scheme is expected to run for up to three years, or until funding is fully allocated.

Any property owners interested in taking part can email pr*******************@***********ov.uk