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Community Grants Programme – Summary
The Community Grants Programme is part of the Coalition’s £100m Empty Homes Programme which runs from 1st April 2012- 31st March 2015.
* The Community Grants Programme: This will be accessible to community led organisations which will not be required to become a registered provider ( eg a registered housing association) and will be administered by an intermediary body which the Department of Communities & Local Government have appointed. – Tribal. .
* Size Of Programme & Bidding: The Programme is likely to be between £10m -£30m, subject to demand, and bidding is expected to run from week 23rd January 2012 until 17th April 2012 .
*Securing Funding From The Programme: Final details of all the bidding criteria will appear with the invitation to bid, but the following criteria are important to note:
- Eligible Properties: Properties that have been used to provide social housing by local authority housing departments and registered housing associations are excluded, but all other properties are eligible ( eg private/gov’t depts./health etc)
- Commercial Property: Commercial properties will be eligible for residential use.
- Period Empty: Properties must have been empty for “a significant period of time” and more than six months: the aim is to achieve a two year average across the programme.
- Identifying Properties: It will not be necessary to identify individual properties in advance of submitting a bid.
- Lease or Purchase: Funding is available for both leasing and purchasing. properties, although the limited level of grants will make purchase more problematic.
- Length of Leases: The minimum length for leases will be 5 years.
- Grant Levels: The current guidance for leased properties suggests that grants will be between £6-9K in the “north” and £13-22k in theLondon. However, grants will be assessed on the length of lease and the number of people housed, so further detail is needed about assumptions in order to get a more accurate picture .
- Standards: Leased properties should be refurbished to the Decent Homes Standard.
- Local Authority Support: Bids will be expected to be supported by the local authority.
- Nominations: Agreement needs to be reached with local authorities over nominations.
- Rents: Rents will be expected to be up to 80% of market rents and the level of rent will be taken into account when accessing schemes for funding.
- Training/Employment/Community Benefit: Bids offering training and employment opportunities for local communities and “community benefit” will be viewed favourably.
* Support With Bidding/Regional Briefings: HACT & Self-Help Housing.Org, are currently working on putting together a Capacity Building Programme around the Community Grants Programme which will help community led organizations with bidding and securing allocations.
22/1/12
