Grants and Loans for Private Housing

Introduction

The majority of housing in Bristol is privately owned. Housing is not only likely to be a homeowner's biggest asset but it is also an important asset for the city.

We provide advice and various forms of assistance to owners to help them adapt, repair and maintain their homes to a decent standard and to ensure the home is a warm and safe environment for its occupants.

A summary of assistance appears below but full details of available assistance can be found in the Private Housing Renewal Policy found as a link at the bottom of this page.

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Home Action Zones

Home Action Zones are selected areas of the city where we will work pro-actively to deal with a range of issues but mainly to deal with pockets of non decent private housing. We will work in these areas for limited periods of 6-8 months and offer a range of services to help make homes safe, secure, warm and decent.

Working with our partners we will be offer:

• free loft and cavity wall insulation (if standard cavity wall structure)
• free security checks from the police Safer Homes Service with secuity measures as appropriate
• free  fire safety checks from Avon Fire and Rescue with long life smoke detectors fitted
• free surveys to identify hazards and essential repairs around the home
• low cost loans (and / or grants depending on your circumstances) to help with repairs and eliminate hazards
• handyperson scheme and maintenance grants for older and vulnerable households
• minor adaptations such as grab rails and ramps to prevent trips and falls around the home

To register your interest in this scheme, please contact the Private Housing Renewal Unit on 0117 3533880 or 0117 9038975.

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Builders List

One of the biggest fears for most householders who require works on their property is that the builder they employ will do a good job. We have produced a list of companies who have passed certain checks to standards required by Bristol City Council. Persons using companies from this list must make their own enquiries and the decision to use any company is entirely that person's own decision. Included in each leaflet is information and advice on employing a builder. The list is broken into four categories:

• General works under £1,000
• General works over £1,000
• Electrical works
• Gas Heating and Boiler Replacement

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Disabled Facilities Grants

If you have difficulty getting in or around your home, or using the facilities within your home we may be able to give you a grant to help adapt your home to suit your needs so that you can continue to live independently. For more information please see the Housing adaptations for older or disabled adults and children page.

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Low Cost Adaptation

This grant is available for disabled adults who qualify for a mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant but the cost of works is under £5,000 and the scheme of works is not complex.

The grant is not subject to means testing.

Only one grant can be approved in any 12 month period.

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Discretionary Adaptation Assistance

Discretionary grants may be available to help applicants who have a contribution to make towards works approved under a Disabled Facilities Grant application and who have been refused a low cost Wessex loan to cover the amount required.

Disabled adults please contact:

Care Direct
Telephone: 0117 922 2700
Fax: 0117 903 6688
Minicom: 0117 903 6689
Email: adult.care@bristol.gov.uk

For disabled children please contact:

Social Services Children’s Team
Telephone: 0117 903 8272
Fax; 0117 903 8254
Minicom: 0117 903 8255
Email: disabledchildren@bristol.gov.uk

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Hospital Discharge Scheme

Hospital Discharge Assistance is available to owner-occupiers for two reasons:

1.  For urgent adaptations for a disabled person to enable them to be discharged from hospital or to prevent re-admission with an existing medical condition or where works are required urgently for a terminally ill person..

2.  To deal with urgent repair works in the home that  affect the health of the occupier and the works are required to facilitate discharge from hospital or to prevent re-admission to hospital with an existing medical condition.

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Loan Fund Assistance

Homeowner loans are administered by our partners Wessex Homes Home Improvement Loans on our behalf . There are a number of products available to homeowners to suit the circumstances of your household including interest only and rolled up interest loans for older homeowners.

The loans can be for any amount between £500 and £15,000 and over a suitable repayment term of up to 15 years. The interest is subsidised by the local authority and therefore is a very competetive interest rate, fixed for the entire term of the loan, at 3%. There must be sufficient equity in your property as the loans are secured with District land Registery and you must have sufficient disposable income to meet the repayments. If your disposable income level is too high however, you will not be eligible to apply.

Loans are available to homeowners who need to undertake essential repairs.

Loans will be offered to top up a Disabled Facilities Grant or to help with your assessed contribution.

Loans can be given to increase the energy efficiency by installing renewable energy products.

Loans can be given to owners of Pre-cast Reinforced Concrete (PRC) properties to improve the themal efficiency of these properties typically with external or internal cladding, concrete treatment work and in some cases replacement windows and heating, depending on your circumstances. A grant will be offered to match the loan to help you undertake these works.

Loans can be given to First Time Buyers who have recently purchased a non decent property and have essential repair work to undertake on their new home.

Loans can be given to remedy serious overcrowding (as assessed under the Housing Health ans Safety Rating System)either in owner-occupied property or private rented properties.

For further information please read the loans leaflet below or contact the private housing renewal unit  on 903 8980. They will carry out a financial assessment and a survey on your property to identify qualifying works. Alternatively complete the form below and send it in to us with a copy of your latest bank statement to start the process.

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Empty Property Loans

Loans are available to owners of empty private properties to bring them back into use for letting at affordable rent levels. Empty Property Loans are available for up to £15,000 over a repayment term not exceeding ten years.

The interest is subsidised by the local authority and therefore is a very competetive interest rate, fixed for the entire term of the loan, at 3%. Conditions will applied during the five year repayment period to ensure that the property continues to be let during that time.For further information please contact the Empty Property Unit  on 0117 3533873 or 3533861.

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Safety Net Repair Grants

Enquiries for financial assistance will initially be considered for subsidised loan rather than grant. You will be subject to a simple financial assessment to calculate what level of disposable income you have  (i.e the difference between your income and your essential outgoings). If you have a very low disposable income you may not be eligible for a loan but grant assistance is only offered where a member of your household is vulnerable i.e. is over 60 years old, is disabled or households with children under 16 years.

In some some circumstances the amount you could borrow on a subsidised loan is limited,  so you may be offered a combined loan and grant scheme to help with the necessary repairs . 

All applicants must own and occupy the property to be eligible for this form of assistance.

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Maintenance Assistance

This grant of up to £1,000 is available to vulnerable householders whose properties meet the decent homes standard, but minor repairs are needed to prevent the property from falling back into non decency.

Applicants must be aged over 60 years or in receipt of a means tested or long term disability benefit.

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Feasibility Assistance

This grant is available for owners to consider the realistic options available to them to bring their empty property or land back into residential use or to consider the options for a large scale disabled adaptation.

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Bristol Energy Efficiency Scheme

This assistance aims to improve energy efficiency and alleviate fuel poverty by providing loft insulation and cavity wall insulation (where a traditional cavity wall exists) for privately owned properties. Bristol City Council Private Housing Service is working in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and Domestic and General Insulation Limited  to achieve this. 

Full assistance is available to vulnerable private households ( excluding Housing Association tenants) and a subsidised scheme is available for non-vulnerable households.

Please contact the Centre for Sustainable Energy on 0800 512012 for more information and to register your interest in the scheme. We also work proactively on a ward by ward basis inviting households to apply for works as above.

NB Cavity wall insulation is not currently available for non tradtionally constructed properties (i.e. PRC) but a combined loan / grant assistance package is available for owners of PRC to fit external cladding.

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Warm Front Top Up Grants

Warm Front is a government funded scheme which provides grants to make your home warmer, healthier and more energy efficient.

You could receive a Warm Front grant of up to £3500 for installing central heating systems, but the Warm Front grant may not be sufficient to cover the full cost of works and you will normally have to make a contribution yourself for the difference. In Bristol we have an arrangement with EAGA / Warm Front to cover this excess charge up to a maximum of £1,000. We will consider topping up above this level if there are associated costs with the scheme and the price overall is deemed reasonable.

EAGA will write informing you of the level of Warm Front grant approved and the contribution made by Bristol City Council.

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Security Assistance

The following schemes are supported by Bristol City Council Private Housing and Adaptations Service in partnership with Avon and Somerset Police and Safer Bristol.

Safer Homes Van  – Help is available to improve the secuity of  residential properties. In most circumstances the security measures will be fitted free of charge to the following households:

• Households who have been victims of a reported burglary  (crime reference number from the police will be required
• Potential victims who are  living in a high crime area or live near to a property that was recently subject to a burglary
• Private landlords signing up to Bristol Accreditation Scheme
• You are a victim of domestic abuse, race or hate crimes
• You are over 60 years old
• You are referred under the council's Home Action Zone scheme

Contact Private Housing Support Team on 0117 3533864 or by email to: private.housing@bristol.gov.uk

 

Alley Gates– targeted at households within a specified area who are at a higher than average risk of burglary by providing gates to back access lanes or alleys. Avon and Somerset Police will contact households eligible for their schemes. .

The crime reduction unit are happy to give advice and support to residential schemes and in some circumstances, match funding may be available to help towards the cost of fitting gates where residents have already raised some of the funding themselves. Suitable schemes may also be considered in Home Action Zones and will be referred by the relevant caseworker.

For more information please contact Holly Dawson, from the Avon & Somerset Police Crime Reduction team, on 0117 952 9743 or by email to:  holly.dawson@avonandsomerset.police.uk

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Contact Details

For further information about Bristols housing renewal policy for private sector housing please contact:

Private Housing Support Team : Tel: 0117 353 3864 or by emailing us on private.housing@bristol.gov.uk

Bristol Care and Repair who offer help and advice to the elderly or disabled can be contacted at:
5 Hide Market, Waterloo Street, St. Phillips, Bristol BS2 0BH
Tel: 0117 954 2222
Fax: 0117 954 1717
E-mail: info@bristolcareandrepair.org.uk

The Bristol Energy Advice Centre who help with our Bristol Energy Efficiency Scheme (BEES) also give advice for energy saving measures and lowering fuel bills. Telephone: 0800 512012.

Wessex Home Improvement Loans are our partners delivering the various loan products and you can contact a local advisor on 0117 935 1888 or by emailing on enquiries@wessexrt.co.uk

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