Communities and Local Government
A selection of images representing communities.
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- Housing
- Private housing
- Private Sector Renewal
- Assistance for repairs and improvements
Assistance for repairs and improvements
The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance)(England and Wales) Order 2002 gives local authorities wide powers to provide assistance for repairs, improvements, adaptations and to demolish and re-construct homes. It also enables authorities to provide assistance to acquire a home where they plan to acquire a current home, or where this would provide a similar benefit to carrying out work on the current home.
This assistance may take the form of a grant, loan, equity release, or more practical assistance such as home surveys or small repairs services. As well as providing this assistance themselves authorities may also provide it through other organisations such as community development finance initiatives.
Local authorities must have policies in place setting out how they will use these powers and they must make summaries of their policy available.
Details of what assistance is available for repairs or improvements is available from the DirectGov website, housing or environmental health departments of local authorities, or local home improvement agencies (Foundations, the HIA coordinating body can be contacted on 01457 891909).
Further advice for local authorities on the powers in the Order, and on preparing a policy for using them is contained in circular 05/2003 on Housing Renewal.
Powers for local authorities to provide renovation grants, common parts grants, house in multiple occupation (HMO) grants or Home Repair Assistance under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 have now been repealed. However, the legislation will remain in force for those applications approved by a local authority before 18 July 2003.
