Council to part-own loan properties?
GRANTS to help hard-up home owners bring properties up to basic standards will be slashed by 60 per cent under new proposals.
Elderly and cash-strapped individuals have previously been able to apply for grants of up to 5,000 from West Norfolk Council, which is planning to reduce the maximum to 2,000.
The grants are available to prevent people having to live with decrepit kitchens and bathrooms, broken heating systems or in unsafe conditions.
If the measures are approved, eligible home owners will be offered a loan, repayable on the sale of the house, for the cost of any additional work.
A report to West Norfolk Council's cabinet said the change will ensure money goes back in the pot to help others.
It said: "It will ensure that a greater proportion of the assistance given will be recyclable and ensure the impact on future capital resources is reduced."
The change is just one in a raft proposed to grants for home owners.
Grants to help private landlords get empty properties back into use and install fire-safety equipment in houses of multiple occupancy will be scrapped under the plans.
It is also suggested to start charging interest on loans, repayable when the house is sold.
On top of that, for loans of between 15,000 and the maximum of 30,000 the council is pursuing a system where it essentially takes ownership of a slice of the property and therefore gets a return that reflects any increase in the value of the property.
Grants of up to 5,000 to enable disabled people to continue to live independently in their own homes will still be available, in line with Government requirements. Under the proposed revised policy for projects that exceed 5,000, a charge could be placed on the property to allow the council to claim money back when it is sold.
The cabinet is recommended to approve the proposals for consultation on Tuesday.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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