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HCA empty homes programme cut to £70million

Submitted by David Gibbens on 4 February, 2012 - 22:14
HCA Newsletter 1st February 2012

The HCA has revealed that £30million has been set aside for the Empty Homes Community Grants Fund, leaving no more thatn £70million for bids to the HCA's Empty Homes pot which are currently being assessed.   (£2million has already been allocated during 2011-12, so the amount may be less than £70million).

The HCA Newsletter for the 1st February noted "We are currently assessing an encouraging bidding response to the remaining £70m of funding." Read more »

Community Grant Fund application page now live

Submitted by David Gibbens on 29 January, 2012 - 15:39
Tribal Grants Admin page

Tribal Group has now activated the page where community groups can apply to the Empty Homes Community Grant Fund.  You can link to the web-page from here. 

Downloadable documents include a rather terse set of FAQs that will doubtless be added to and the application form and notes. . The application form has obviously received a lot of careful attention (it's version 6.2) and already answers some of the queries in our initial news story last week. Read more »

Community Grants Programme launched

Submitted by David Gibbens on 26 January, 2012 - 09:19
Tribal Group home page

The Empty Homes Community Grants Fund was officially launched by Andrew Stunell on 24th January.  The consultancy Tribal has been selected as the third party organisation to manage the programme day-to-day.  They will be processing the grant applications. Applications are to be received by Tribal by 17th April 2012 (no time of day is stated). Read more »

Red Tape Challenge comes to Housing

Submitted by David Gibbens on 24 January, 2012 - 12:10
Red Tape Challenge website

The Red Tape Challenge is currently focusing on Housing and Construction.  The Challenge shifts its spotlight periodically, though more than one area is looked at concurrently. 

The Housing and Construction Challenge says it will last five weeks, although there is the minor technicality that it doesn't tell you when the five weeks started (doh!).  However that information  can be found on the "All themes" page: the Challenge started on the 12th January and ends on the 16th February.  Read more »

HCA updates FAQs on its £100M Empty Homes Programme

Submitted by David Gibbens on 15 January, 2012 - 17:24

The HCA has updated its Frequently Asked Questions document in respect of bidding for the £100million Empty Homes Programme.  Key points include

The FAQ document contains a link to the CLG model on which the grant rates have been predicated. Read more »

Community Grants Programme - Regional Briefings

Submitted by Jon Fitzmaurice on 14 January, 2012 - 08:42

As part of a Capacity Building Programme around the CGP, HACT & Self-Help Housing.Org are running a series of Briefing Events, aimed at helping community-led-organisations with bidding and securing allocations.

These regional events will be free of charge and will provide an opportunity to find out as much as possible about the way in which the  programme will work and the arrangements for bidding. Among the issues to be covered will be:  Read more »

HCA cuts provider risk on Empty Homes Programme

Submitted by David Gibbens on 13 January, 2012 - 09:01

At a meeting organised by the South West National Housing Federation on 12th January, Pacian Andrews of the HCA addressed some important concerns faced by providers wanting to bid in the £100million Empty Homes Programme. 

Firstly, Pacian announced that any allocations under the Empty Homes Pogramme would not be added to existing Affordable Homes Programme contracts.  This will  make tthe monitoring of the contracts significantly easier for both providers and the HCA. Read more »

Squatting law goes to the Lords

Submitted by David Gibbens on 11 January, 2012 - 22:34

Here's a useful update on the latest with the moves to change the law on squatting, with some comment from the backbench MP who has been involved in pressing for the legislation to change.  The legisltation is currently in the House of Lords. The story can be found here in the Brighton news channel thelatest.co.uk.

Community Grants Programme: bidding to open soon

Submitted by Jon Fitzmaurice on 31 December, 2011 - 13:22
self-help-housing.org home page

I thought it would be helpful to EHN members provide an update on the DCLG's Community Grants Programme, before the Programme gets underway in the New Year. Read more »

Another Commons debate on empty homes

Submitted by David Gibbens on 15 December, 2011 - 20:32
They work for you - screenshot

Hot on the heels of one House of Commons Adjournment Debate on empty homes, comes a second, this time secured by Graham Jones, Labour MP for  Hyndburn, on the 13th December.  Again Andrew Stunell answered questions . The full text of the exchanges can be found on the They Work for You website Read more »