A further 50 run-down Middlesbrough properties will be renovated as part of a £2m project to bring empty homes back into use.
More than 100 properties across the town - including in Linthorpe, Gresham, Acklam and Middlehaven - have already been improved through an initial £1.3m grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The grant has been administered by Middlesbrough Council which has now secured a further £880,000 to tackle another 50 properties between 2015 and 2018.
The council is working with builders in the area to carry out the renovation works which it says will increase employment opportunities and redistribute central Government funds into the local economy.
In order to qualify for assistance a property needs to be empty for six months in respect of council tax and has to be brought back into use as affordable housing.
The owners - who are a mixture of landlords and people improving a property to live in themselves - pay for the work to be done and can then be reimbursed for up to half of their outlay.
The first phase has seen investments on roofs, kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors and full refurbishments worth between £2,000 and £30,000.
This house in Princes Road in Gresham, pictured, has seen improvements made to the kitchen, bathroom and living room.
Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for regeneration Cllr Charlie Rooney said: “This project has already delivered fantastic results across the town and we hope the additional money secured will help more homeowners.
“Properties that become empty for the long-term bring with them problems above and beyond being a waste of a potential home - such as an increased risk of crime and anti-social behaviour in that neighbourhood.
“I would recommend that anyone who owns an empty property who is struggling to finance renovations and improvements speaks to our housing team.
“Officers will be happy to discuss the individual home owner’s circumstances to ensure an appropriate approach to bringing as many of these homes as possible back into circulation.”
For more information or inquiries Middlesbrough Council’s housing team can be contacted on 01642 729124.
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