Empty homes provide housing and training opportunities for local people

Published by Paul Diggory for North Wales Housing Association in Housing

Empty homes provide housing and training opportunities for local people

Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM has visited a former empty home in Rhyl that is to be sold as an affordable house to a local first time buyer.

North Wales Housing Association worked in partnership with Denbighshire County Council on this affordable housing initiative and purchased three long term empty homes in West Rhyl. The houses have now been refurbished and will be sold as low cost housing to local people at 50% of their open market value.

Ms Davies visited a four bed house in Lake Avenue which was the first refurbishment to be completed under this initiative.
The scheme has also provided opportunities for local people to undertake a variety of construction training, with apprentices having developed skills in areas such as plastering, joinery and surveying throughout the renovation process.
One of the apprentices was 17 year old Ashley Hughes from Kimmel Bay who was taken on as an apprentice plasterer but has now been offered full time employment by contractor K and C Construction.

Ashley said:
“I can’t believe the difference the scheme has made to me. I’m so grateful to have been able to take part in it, gain new skills and learn a trade. I’m back in college at the moment finishing my SCA PTA plastering course but when I finish I know I have a job to go to with K and C construction.”
 

Ms Davies said:
 

“This is a fantastic scheme that not only helps local people to get their foot on the property ladder and purchase their own homes, but has helped local young people to gain the valuable skills they need to help them get jobs.
 

“By taking empty homes and refurbishing them to turn them into good quality affordable homes we are tackling their wasted resource and helping to revitalise the local community.”
 

The refurbishment is part of the Denbighshire Empty Homes Project, which was set up to give unoccupied dwellings a new lease of life as affordable housing. Part funded by the Welsh Assembly Government through the North Wales Coast Regeneration Area funding, the scheme is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the country.

Notes
The North Wales Coast Regeneration Area has prioritised action to tackle the problem of empty homes in Rhyl and Colwyn Bay, and has been working with North Wales Housing, Pennaf Housing Group and the local authorities to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing.
 

In the first year of the programme, North Wales Housing has focussed on three empty properties in the West Rhyl area. The three properties concerned have been purchased and renovated to a high standard, and will be offered to first time buyers as affordable housing through the Association’s Step One initiative.
The Scheme has been 50% funded through the North Wales Coast Regeneration Area funding.