Member Article

Liverpool Council opens £1 housing scheme

Applications have opened for a Liverpool housing scheme that will give 20 residents the chance to buy a house for just £1.

Liverpool City Council announced the pilot in February 2013 as part of a regeneration project in the Gransby and Picton areas of the city.

More than 4,000 people have shown interest in 20 properties which will be available for just £1, on the condition that renovations are made to bring them up to a Decent Home Standard within 12 months.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “I’ve made it a priority to bring 1,000 empty properties back into use in this city and to help as many local people as possible get onto the property ladder. This innovative scheme will support both these aims.

“There is a huge amount of demand for these £1 homes, but it’s important that people realise that everything we are doing is about building a sustainable future for our neighbourhoods.

“That’s why we are only looking for people who have a genuine commitment to bringing these properties back to life and turning them into a home they are proud to live in.”

Applicants must live or work in Liverpool, be a first time buyer, and must be employed. The deadline for responses to the scheme is Tuesday 7th May 2013.

Anyone applying to live in the homes must also agree to live there for a minimum of five years, and not sub-let the property in this time.

Respondents must also outline how they will finance and refurbish the property as part of the application process.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Ann O’Byrne, said: “We know how important strong, thriving communities are to local people, and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to bring our empty homes back into use.

“Properties in these areas have lain empty for too long – but in tough economic times, we need to be creative and look at doing things differently.

“We’ve been really pleased with the public response to our homes for £1 scheme, and we’re optimistic that this will prove to be an effective way of unlocking investment in properties, providing people with a much-needed home and attracting people back into our neighbourhoods.”

Successful applicants will be expected to renovate their homes to a decent, warm and weatherproof state of repair with reasonably modern facilities.

The Council estimate the scale of work required on each property to be approximately £35,000, and is currently investigating the possibility of short-term finance to be provided where possible.

Properties will be surveyed on completion, when the freehold will be transferred from Liverpool City Council to the purchaser.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .