A new initiative has been given the green light by a Welsh council which asks private landlords to rent out their properties to the homeless.
Neath port Talbot Council is set to lease properties from private sector landlords and sub-let them to people in a bid to protect them from sleeping on the streets. The programme is also being used to improve housing stock and attempting to tackle vacant properties.
Another Welsh local authority, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, has reported that the latest figures show there is an estimated 23,000 empty properties in Wales that could be repurposed to provide a home for people in dire need.
Members of the council’s Social Services, Housing and Community Safety Cabinet Board have approved the project as part of the Welsh Government’s Leasing Scheme Wales.
Under the arrangement, the council has said it will lease properties from private sector landlords and sub-let them to people in an attempt to protect them from homelessness. A particular focus is on supporting households move out of temporary accommodation and reduce poor housing conditions in the sector.
As it stands, the local authority claim their intention is to lease 82 properties in the Neath port Talbot area by the end of March 2027, beginning with four for the end of March this year. Funding for this programme is set to least until 2032.
Part of the scheme states councils will take on specific obligations in relation to the maintenance of properties and the rent being paid to owners.
A renovation incentive can also be offered to landlords in cases where properties don’t meet minimum property standards. This will be in the form of a 5K grant.
Additionally, incentives will be proposed to landlords to improve energy performance certificates, which state how energy efficient houses are. In the current climate, the majority of people cannot afford to switch their heating on for long, so it would be smart to lease homes with decent insulation.
Empty properties are also eligible to be brought into the renovation scheme. Grants can reach up to £25K however, grants of more than £10K will require approval from the Welsh government.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member of Housing and Community Safety, Cllr Alun Llewelyn, said: ‘The scheme will help tackle homelessness by making more properties available and the aim is to improve the quality of private sector rental homes.
‘It’s essential that tenants receive the support they need, and this scheme will provide that.’
Photo by Jon Tyson