New life for empty homes

AN Oldham housing association has won a £750,000 grant to bring 75 empty homes back to life.

Aksa Homes has been awarded the money by the Homes and Communities Agency to refurbish privately-owned properties in Oldham, Rochdale and Manchester.

Work will be carried out between 2015 and 2018 under the next phase of the Government’s Affordable Homes programme.

Since 2011, Aksa Homes has worked with partners to transform more than 50 empty properties across the region into family homes.

Aksa Homes — part of the New Charter Group — owns around 800 homes across Oldham, Bury, Manchester and Tameside.

Private landlord Andrew Rodgers recently had his mother’s property in Greenfield renovated after she went into residential care.

Andrew said: “The lease of my mother’s property to Aksa Homes helps her with care-home costs while at the same time making her feel that the house she lived in for 87 years is still hers.

“The 50 per cent grant towards the cost of the renovation works was a big help and I’d encourage anyone in possession of a long-term empty home to contact their local authority to see which housing associations are involved in empty homes programmes.”
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