Home Improvements
Council Houses
Ryedale District Council does not have any
housing stock. The main provider of social housing in the
area is Yorkshire
Housing. To contact their Norton Office by
telephone ring 01653 600300 or the telephone number for their York
office is 01904 754420. Alternatively you can contact them by
email at malton@yorkshirehousing.org.uk or
york@yorkshirehousing.org.uk.
Home Repair Grants/Loans
Home repair grants/loans are a discretionary
form of assistance designed to provide help either through a grant
or the provision of material for small-scale works of repair,
improvements or adaptation to a dwelling or mobile home. They are
designed for smallscale works of up to £5000 per single
application.
Eligibility criteria:
- Be aged 18 or over on the date of application
- Have an owners interest in the property and live in the
property as their main residence.
- The property has to be more than 10 years old.
- The applicant must have a duty or power to carry out the works
in question.
Eligibility for Home Repair Grant only:-
- If under 60 years of age, to satisfy the vulnerability criteria
in relation to the receipt of benefit
- If over 60 years of age, to satisfy the vulnerability criteria
in relation to the receipt of benefit or be on a low income
Eligibility for Home Repair Loan only:-
- If under 60 years of age, to be on a low income
- If over 60 years of age not to be in receipt of benefit
What are they available for?
- Works of repair to windows and doors
- Crime prevention measures
- Repairs to the basic fabric of the building to make it wind and
weatherproof and structurally sound
- To eradicate rising or other forms of dampness e.g by provision
of DPC, remedial pointing etc.
- Electrical defects.
For further information please contact Housing
Services on 01653 600666 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
Energy Efficiency Grants
Energy efficiency grants are a discretionary
form of assistance, aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing
fuel poverty and reducing the carbon emissions of homes. These
grants are designed to improve insulation levels of homes to
current standards and to repair or replace heating systems. There
are two types of grants available for insulation measures and
improvements to heating systems
Eligibility to secure improved
insulation:-
- Applicants must be over 60 or claiming specific benefits
- You must live in the property as your only or main
residence
- The works are required to alleviate fuel poverty
What are they available for?
- Loft insulation
- Cavity Wall insulation
- Draught proofing
- Energy efficient light bulbs
- Insulation to the hot water cylinder
Eligibility to secure improvements to heating
systems:-
- Applicants must be over 60 or claiming specific benefits
- You must live in the property as your only or main
residence
- The works are required to alleviate fuel poverty
- The property must be in Council Tax Band A,B,or C
What they are available for?
- Provision of gas, oil or other central heating system with
boiler and up to 5 radiators
- Repairs to existing systems
- Conversions or alterations of a solid fuel open fire or
stove
For further information please contact Housing Services on 01653
600666 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
More information about energy efficiency is
available from the Energy
Saving Trust website. Alternatively you can
contact them by telephone on 0800 512012.
Sustainability 4 Yorkshire is part-owned by
Ryedale District Council, this organisation provides
information for individuals, businesses and communities. For
more information about how they can help you to save energy visit
their website www.yorkshireenergypartnership.org.uk.
Decent Home Loans
The Decent Homes Loan is available to qualifying applicants in
order to enable them to undertake a scheme of works, which will
enable their homes to meet the Decent Homes Standard. Although not
enforceable, it is used as the national measure for sustainable
private housing.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must be aged 18 or over on the date of
application
- You must have an owners interest in the property and live in
the property as their main residence.
- The property has to be more than 10 years old.
- The applicant must have a duty or power to carry out the works
in question.
- If under 60 years of age, to satisfy the vulnerability criteria
in relation to the receipt of benefit
- If over 60 years of age, to satisfy the vulnerability criteria
in relation to the receipt of benefit or be on a low income
Eligible Works
All works which are required to be undertaken
in order to ensure that the dwelling will comply with the following
standards, will be eligible for a Decent Homes Loan.
1. It meets the current
minimum standard for housing
2. It has
reasonable modern facilities and services
3. It
provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
4. It is
in a reasonable state of repair
Repayment Provisions
Any financial assistance provided in the form
of a Decent Homes Loan will be registered as a charge against the
property on the Local Land Charges Register. The amount of loan
approved will be repaid in full upon the applicant relinquishing
their interest in the property. There are no time limits attached
to this condition to repay the amount of loan awarded.
For further information please contact Housing
Services on 01653 600666 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
Empty Property Grants
Empty Property grants are a discretionary form of assistance
designed to provide practical help by means of a grant for
renovation/repair work to ensure the property complies with the
Decent Homes Standard. They cover 50% of the cost of renovation
works up to a maximum of £15,000 per single application. They are
subject to the condition that Ryedale District Council receives
nomination rights for the property for a period of 5 years
following completion of works.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must be over 18 at time of application.
- Have an owners interest in the property.
- The property has to be more than 10 years old.
- It must have been empty for more than 6 months.
- Will be subject to grant conditions.
What are they available for?
- Works of major repair to the property
- Works to cover improvements to energy efficiency.
- Within these general guidelines the Council will determine what
works would be grant aided.
For further information contact Housing Services on 01653 600666
or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
Grants
HMO grants are a discretionary form of
assistance designed to provide practical help either through a
grant for the installation of fire precaution or the provision of
the required amenities. They cover 50% of the cost of improvement
works up to a maximum of £10,000 per single application.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants must be over 18 at time of application.
- Have an owners interest in the property
- The property has to be more than 10 years old.
- Will be subject to grant conditions.
What are they available for?
- Provision of adequate means of escape and detection in case of
fire.
- Provision of missing and inadequate amenities.
- Within these general guidelines the Council will determine what
works would be grant aided.
For further information contact Housing Services on 01653 600666
or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
Home Appreciation Loans
Ryedale District Council also provides Home
Appreciation loans to assist owner-occupiers to carry out works to
their homes.
The Home Appreciation Loan is a secured loan that allows you to
release equity from your home to make repairs/improvements to your
property. The loan does not become repayable until you transfer
ownership of your house e.g if you sell your home.
For further information contact Housing Services on 01653 600666
or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.
Disabled Facilities Grant
If you have a disability and have difficulties
managing in your home, it may be possible to reduce these problems
by altering or adapting your home. Initial referrals for grant
assistance are made by NYCC Adult & Community Care Services.
For further information please visit the North Yorkshire County
Council website.
Disabled Facilities Grant is intended to
enable disabled people to continue to live in their own homes by
providing them with the necessary adaptations. The applicant need
not be the disabled person himself, but must be the owner or tenant
of the property to be adapted (eg a parent may apply on behalf of a
child).
Grants may be mandatory or discretionary, depending on the work to
be done, but all applicants are subject to a means test. The
current grant limit is £30,000. The type of work covered by the
grant may include:
- work to provide improved access within the property, eg
provision of stair lifts, widening of doorways,through floor
lifts.
- providing downstairs bathroom facilities
- providing ramps and handrails
- providing showers with wheelchair access.
Eligibility
An applicant must be the owner of the dwelling or be a tenant
and be able to provide the Council with an 'owner' or 'tenant'
certificate. This does not have to be the disabled person for whom
the works are required.
A landlord can apply on behalf of a disabled tenant. The
landlord will be required to sign a certificate stating that the
tenant will occupy the dwelling as his or her only or main dwelling
for a period of five years from completion of works.
All applications are made through the recommendation of North
Yorkshire County Council's Adult and Community Care Services.
For further information please contact Housing Services on 01653
600666 or email housing@ryedale.gov.uk.