Local homeowners may be able to borrow money to fund essential repairs to their homes through a new Council subsidised loan scheme.
The loans – offered from £500 to £15,000 – could cover anything from a replacement boiler, mending a leaking roof, solving a damp issue, replacing faulty electrics or plumbing, or simply making stairs and pathways to a home safe.
Councillor Tim Ball (Lib-Dem, Twerton), Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, said: “The Council wants to help people where we can with the cost of living, which includes sometimes costly home maintenance repairs.
“One-off costs, like replacing a boiler, can be extremely expensive but spread over a period time much more affordable. It is also important to support people to be safe and warm in their own home.
“There are certain criteria that people are required to fulfil because our resources must be targeted at those residents who need it most, so the Council is encouraging people to get in touch with us to check their eligibility.”
Not-for-profit organisation Wessex Resolutions CIC administer the scheme on behalf of the Council. Andrew Wallace, Managing Director of Wessex Resolutions said: “As a Community Interest Company, our primary focus is on supporting the needs of the clients we serve. Many homeowners live in poor housing conditions and by addressing those issues with subsidised financial assistance, we can genuinely help to improve people’s wellbeing and the quality of their lives”
To be eligible you must either:
- Be over 60 and on low income, or
- Have a disability or a long term limiting illness and on low income
- or you have a child under 16 and are on low income
However, the Council urges anyone struggling to make essential repairs to their homes or living in homes which are unsafe to call them and discuss their situation.
Call 01225 396444 or visit the Council’s home improvement and repairs section of its website.
