Housing association bringing empty properties back into use

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Development

A housing association is aiming to bring five empty homes back into use as affordable housing.

Futures Housing Group – which manages 8,600 homes in Derbyshire and Northamptonshire – has already completed work on one of the properties, all of which are being brought up to modern standards with a £250,000 investment from the Homes and Communities Agency.

Futures Homescape and Amber Valley Borough Council teamed up to secure the funding which has enabled the outright purchase of the properties.

Julie Heithus, head of business development at Futures Housing Group, said: “We’ve completed work on the first two of the five homes which is a key milestone in the project. 

“The advantage of the scheme is two-fold. Five communities benefit from the removal of an empty property which can leave an area looking neglected and act as a magnet for anti-social behaviour, while five local families will soon have a new home to move into.”

The homes will be allocated to those registered for Derbyshire’s Home Options letting scheme.