Taking on Empty Homes (Added 11/03/16 )

The plan

Our office is buzzing with activity as planning is now fully under way for our latest Empty Homes Programme. Our aim for the next 2 years is to create 16 new homes from long term empty properties; half of those homes will be 1 bed units to meet increased demand. All of the homes will be refurbished to Latch’s high standards, with new kitchens and bathrooms, and many will be fitted with extensive thermal performance and insulation upgrades, to keep them warm and cheap to heat.

Grant funding progress

We are currently at the early stages of the programme, purchasing the first properties and securing funding. We are very pleased to have been awarded a grant of £511,740 from Leeds City Council’s Right to Buy Replacement Programme which will be used for our Empty Homes Programme. We are also through to the final round of our grant applications with funding organisations Nationwide Foundation and LandAid, which have been asked for grants of £100,500 and £100,000 respectively. If these applications are successful they will contribute to both the capital and revenue costs of the project. We will be securing additional funding through loan income from the Ecology Building Society.

Recruiting new team members

Our Property Development Team is at the core of programme delivery so we are looking for 2 new staff to join us: Project & Volunteer Manager and Refurbishment & Training Worker. Further details and how to apply can be found on our Jobs page. This is great opportunity to join a busy team and work on refurbishment and construction projects that make a real difference to people’s lives.

Coming soon: Volunteering opportunities

Alongside our refurbishment project we will also be running our popular volunteer programme with recruitment planned to start in May 2016. As with previous programmes, volunteers will work on the refurbishments 1 day a week, and will receive on-site training in a number of constructions skills such as joinery, plastering, tiling and kitchen fitting. There will also be the opportunity to gain CSCS operative cards and first aid at work qualifications which are great CV additions and help volunteers looking for employment. We will post updates once we are taking applications. You can sign up to our newsletter to get the latest information delivered to your inbox.