Following a successful bid back in September 2012, Five Lamps secured £1.276million from the Department of Communities & Local Government ‘Empty Homes Community Grants Programme’.
Empty homes in England account for 3% of the total housing stock. Empty homes brought back into use can contribute to the housing supply to meet local needs and help tackle homelessness, prevent neighbourhood decline and regenerate areas.
The programme ended at the end of March 2015 and Five Lamps hit our revised target of 49 properties (121 bed spaces) refurbished across County Durham and Darlington. That outcome is fully compliant with the programme’s value-for-money criteria.
This was the first time that Five Lamps had undertaken a housing project of this nature and we retain an appetite for further work in this field but we would to see a greater focus on purchase and repair.