LandAid: Empty Properties Funding Programme

Overview

LandAid will fund work across the UK which turns empty properties into supported accommodation for young people who are either homeless, or at severe risk of becoming homeless.

LandAid welcomes applications from organisations with experience in renovating empty properties. The government’s Empty Homes Community Grants Programme ended in mid-2015 after bringing almost 2,000 properties back into use. There is much more still to do - there are around 200,000 empty homes in England alone.

Who can apply?

UK organisations with charitable objectives, including:

• UK registered charities
• UK registered societies, community benefit societies, ‘pre-commencement societies’, industrial and provident societies.

If you have previously applied to LandAid, whether you were successful or not, you are welcome to apply to this round.

What costs will be funded?

LandAid will consider funding towards:

• Capital costs of the building work for the refurbishment and conversion of empty properties
• Salary costs related to the building work e.g. to organise on-site construction training opportunities.

Essential

They are looking for applications from:

• Organisations with experience of turning empty properties into safe, decent homes for people in housing need, and making them available at a rate they can afford.
• Organisations that can ensure that the completed property is exclusively for young people who are at risk of homelessness, and that support is provided to enable them to move forward positively with their lives. This support can be provided by the applicant organisation themselves, or a local partner.

Areas of interest

• They are also particularly interested in projects which include one or more of the following:
• On-site construction training and/or apprenticeships for unemployed young people
• On-site volunteering opportunities for local unemployed people
• Value for money
• Specifications in the building work to benefit future tenants. E.g. the renovations involve energy conservation and efficiency measures, and also building work to minimise long term maintenance issues in older properties (e.g. condensation).

Size of grant

Applicants can apply for grants between £50,000 and £150,000. The main focus of this grant round is to provide capital funding to part fund or fully fund building work. Up to 25% of the total grant applied for can be for a contribution towards a related salary.

LandAid expects to award up to ten organisations grants of average £100,000, these grants will be awarded in batches from March 2016 to March 2017. The exact number and amount of grants they award depends on the applications they receive.

LandAid will consider building projects due to start on site within the next two years.

LandAid is happy to receive applications where they will part fund a project with other funders as well as being the sole funder. In these circumstances, LandAid will normally require that all other funding is secured before releasing the grant payment.

In addition

• As LandAid aims to make a positive impact in the cities where its supporters are based; we are particularly looking for applications from organisations based in the UK’s major cities.
• LandAid seeks to fund organisations who will actively engage with LandAid and its supporters.
• LandAid seeks to offer free professional property advice to the building project applied for, and/or for other premises issues an organisation may have.