Community Grants Programme & Support For Organisations Wanting To Bid

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has announced that community groups will be able to apply directly for money from the £100m Empty Homes Programme through a Community Grants Programme:.

“Community and voluntary organisations will now be able to bid for part of £100m Government funding for pioneering housing schemes that will ensure empty properties that ruin neighbourhoods are lived in once again, and at the same time provide affordable housing. Many of these schemes will also have wider benefits such as providing excellent training opportunities for local people….. ……..Community and self help groups will now have the opportunity of applying for financial backing to tackle empty homes, with formal bidding guidance to be published shortly. Previously only conventional housing providers could apply. Community-led schemes are already doing excellent work in this area, as well as providing valuable skills for local people, helping them get a job and a roof over their heads”

 The Department of Communities & Local Government are now in the process of appointing an intermediary body to distribute the funding. This should be completed during November and bidding will start thereafter. The Programme is expected to amount to at least £10m

 Meantime, Tudor Trust has agreed to fund Self-Help-Housing.Org and HACT to run a Capacity Building Programme which will promote the Community Grants Programme to community led organisations and provide support to organisations wanting to bid. A new section will shortly appear on this website which will explain all about the Community Grants Programme  and what help will be available