SWANSEA Council is set to spend more than £8.6m on home improvement grants for disabled people and a range of other property upgrade opportunities for low income or vulnerable households over the coming year.
Around half of the money will be spent on disabled facilities grants which will help people to continue to live independent lives in their own homes as well as a fund available for adaptations for Council properties too.
Further funds are being made available for grant and loan schemes aimed at increasing housing supply by bringing private sector empty homes back into use.
Cabinet is being asked to agree the £8.6m disabled facilities and improvement grant programme when it meets on April 14. The programme is being funded from a variety of sources, including the Council’s own budgets, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), the Welsh Government and the utility companies.
Mark Wade, Community Housing Services Manager at the Council, said: “Disabled Facilities Grants and the Council tenants adaptation scheme represent a significant investment in supporting residents to continue to live in their own homes as they grow older or more frail.
“This is an important part of supporting the council’s priorities in social care and in building sustainable communities.”
Funding for DFGs amounting to £4.5m over the next 12 months comes from the council’s budget and a further £2.75m is earmarked for adaptations in Council houses funded via the HRA.
Loans and small grants are also available to help with repairs, minor adaptations and helping bring homes back into use.
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