Member Article

Partnership helps regenerate empty homes and creates jobs

Three formerly unemployed people have spoken of their joy at securing jobs after completing work placements on a scheme which regenerates long-term vacant private properties for use as affordable social housing.

The Vela Group, Coast & Country, along with Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton Borough Councils have formed a partnership to run the scheme, known as the Empty Homes Project, with £2.9 million of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The project has three-fold benefits, redeveloping long-term empty properties which can blight local communities, providing much needed affordable social housing and offering training places to help people into work.

Working with voluntary training agencies - Community Campus 87 in Stockton, East Cleveland Youth Housing Trust in Redcar and Opening Doors in Hartlepool - the project generates training and employment opportunities for unemployed people from the local areas.

Three of the first intake of volunteers have gone on to secure full-time employment or apprenticeships after developing their skills and experience on their Empty Homes Project work placements.

Tyler Ingham, 18, from Hartlepool, is currently working as a bricklaying apprentice with local building firm Robson - a position he secured as a direct result of his participation in the Empty Homes Project.

He said: “The Empty Homes Project gave me new confidence in my abilities. It motivated me to get out there and find employment.”

Tyler, who intends to begin a NVQ Level 2 in bricklaying next year, added: “Getting this apprenticeship has changed my life and really boosted my career prospects, something which I put down to my time on the project.”

Rob Smith, 22, from Redcar, has gained full-time employment as a bricklayer at Community Campus 87 after being unemployed for a year.

Whilst working on the Empty Homes Project, Rob achieved a NVQ Level 2 in plastering. This, added to a previous NVQ Level 3 in bricklaying has enabled him to further develop his skills and knowledge, which he thinks has been vital in helping him secure a job.

He said: “My four months working on the project has assisted me in regaining my self-confidence and a mindset for work, which has helped me manage to get back into employment.

“I utilise the skills that I developed on the project every day when I’m at work. I am very thankful to the partnership for putting me in this position.”

Jack Glasper Smith, 19, from Stockton, is now on an apprenticeship in joinery at Community Campus 87 since working on the Empty Homes Project. He said: “The project really helped me progress. I’ve gone from sitting around watching TV everyday to being a part of the team at Community Campus 87. It’s fantastic.”

Jack, who is currently studying for his NVQ Level 2 in Joinery, added: “I have also picked up the basics of a lot of new skills whilst on the scheme, such as painting and plastering, which will hopefully help me in my career.”

Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) funding of £2.9m plus a total of £1.2m from the respective local authorities, has been earmarked for the project which will run until 2015.

A minimum of 206 homes will be refurbished as part of the scheme, with 76 in Stockton, 72 in Redcar and 58 in Hartlepool undergoing improvement.

Under the scheme, the owners of properties in Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar which have been unoccupied for more than six months, are being offered a package of refurbishment work in return for leasing the property through Vela or Coast & Country.

Mark Dutton, Head of Regeneration at the Vela Group, said: “Unemployment is extremely tough; it can alter a person’s frame of mind particularly when experiencing it long-term and can be detrimental to their self-esteem and motivation.

“Getting ‘on the job’ experience on a major scheme like this really makes a difference, as Jack, Rob and Tyler have shown.”

Mr Dutton added: “As well as helping the unemployed gain work experience, the Empty Homes Project also improves neighbourhoods by redeveloping the long-term unoccupied properties that can often become eyesores.

“The project also creates more much-needed affordable housing for the community, one of the Empty Homes Project partnership aims.”

Iain Sim, Coast & Country Chief Executive, said: “This collaborative approach will help overcome the affordable homes’ shortage and also help people gain the skills to help them find work.”

Nigel Johnson, Hartlepool Council’s Housing Services Manager, said: “We are transforming abandoned homes to provide much needed affordable housing, create work and breathe life back into neighbourhoods.”

Councillor Lynn Pallister, Redcar and Cleveland’s Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal, said: “We and our partners are providing communities with three benefits from one package - high quality homes for affordable rents, bringing empty properties back into use and giving trainees the chance to develop practical skills.”

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council’s Member for Housing and Community Safety said: “Empty homes have the potential to become a target for vandals and anti-social behaviour and can have a negative impact on surrounding residents. As well as providing homes for local people and helping to train people in building trades, we are helping improve people’s living environments.”

Neil Cawson, of the HCA, said: “Providing funding to help tackle the scourge of empty homes is one of the Government’s key priorities. It is fantastic to see how these Tees Valley partners have joined forces to bring long-term empty properties back into use.”

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