Cyngor Gwynedd have announced that they are expanding the Empty Homes Grant Scheme to support local house buyers. The scheme, which has been in action since 2021, provides assistance to individuals and families to turn empty Properties into quality housing through renovation grants. Until now these grants were only available to first time buyers, but the scheme is now open to every eligible buyer. Cyngor Gwynedd have also increased the maximum possible grant from £15,000 to £20,000 to reflect the increases in costs of goods and services.
The £4 million programme is funded by revenue generated from the Council Tax Premium on second homes and so far 170 residents throughout Gwynedd have benefited from the scheme. It is part of the wider Housing Action Plan by Cyngor Gwynedd, which consists of 33 individual projects worth a total of £140 million set up to ensure that local people have access to affordable housing in their local communities.
In a statement Gethin Jones, who has received a Gwynedd Empty Homes Grant and has bought a house in Chwilog near Pwllheli, said:
‘We are looking forward to settling down in our home here in Chwilog and start a new chapter as a family with a baby on the way. The Empty Homes Grant has helped us complete essential repairs to the house, such as installing new windows, rebuilding the chimney and electrical work, much more quickly than we would have been able to do on our own, and have the place ready for us as a family. Without the grant, we wouldn’t be where we are now, that’s for sure! It means we can carry on working on the house and make it a home for years to come.
The house had been empty for over a year before we moved in, and the former owner, a local woman, really wanted to sell it to local people. We both grew up close to Chwilog and it means a lot to us to be able to stay close to our families and raise our child in an area we know and love.’
Councillor Craig ab Iago, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Housing and Property Cabinet Member, said:
‘There are almost 5,400 empty houses in the county at the moment, including second homes, which is a stark contrast to the fact that almost 900 people presented themselves as homeless in Gwynedd during the last year. It’s completely immoral that so many homes in Gwynedd are empty when the demand for housing is so high and this intervention, along with other measures in the Council’s Housing Action Plan, is crucial to safeguarding the future of our communities.
We have listened to the people of Gwynedd – more and more people need our support, whether they are first time buyers or a family in dire need of a bigger house. Prices have also risen since we launched the scheme in 2021, and we have adapted to reflect this reality by increasing the grant that is offered.
I would encourage anyone looking to buy an empty house or a former second home to look at the Council’s website for more details or contact the Council’s Empty Homes team for a chat.’
You can find more information about the Gwynedd Empty Homes Grant Scheme Cyngor Gwynedd’s website.
