A programme designed to see empty homes in the Crewe and Nantwich areas be brought back into life has been supported by Cheshire East Council.
The idea of the National Empty Homes Loan Fund is to assist with resolving UK’s housing shortage.
Currently, there are almost 1,400 Cheshire East homes which have been without tenants for six to 12 months. Added to that, 944 properties have remained empty for two years or more.
Councillor Don Stockton, who is also a cabinet member for Cheshire East, said:
“We know many properties are lying empty in the borough because owners simply do not have the money needed to bring them back up to a habitable standard.
“This new initiative we are supporting will give a real boost to helping to tackle this.”
The fund will make secured loans available to prospective residents with a potential £15,000 available at a fixed interest rate of five per cent. This will enable them to have work completed on the home to UK standards. This will be music to the ears of many builders in Cheshire, as well as other manual workers who ply their trade in the area.
The finance will be open to buyers over 17 with a home that has remained empty for at least six months.
The finance will be available along with the current council initiative, the Empty Homes Assistance scheme, which provides loans to home owners in need of repair work in empty homes.
