Our policy for housing adaptations
Priorities
The Housing Acts give councils the power to offer informal help and discretionary financial assistance to owner occupiers, tenants and private sector landlords to improve the quality and availability of housing. Where there is a disabled person in a household, in many circumstances local authorities have a mandatory duty to offer a DFG to assist with the cost of adaptation work.
As resources are limited and there is substantial demand, especially for mandatory DFGs, we need to make sure that financial assistance is offered on a fair, priority basis that takes account of competing needs.
The responsibility to maintain private property rests firmly with the owner, but the condition and availability of private sector housing stock does have substantial implications for our housing strategy, especially in terms of access to affordable housing.
You can read the full version of our policy for allocating grants / loans and other assistance to home owners and tenants who need help to repair and adapt their property below.
Download list
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Download our Housing Renewal Assistance Policy 2022-25Download PDF (604.94 KB)
The council has an extent track record of securing external funding for a variety of housing and regeneration initiatives and based on the above the following priorities have been set using identified funding sources:
|
Priority |
Area of work |
Funded by (where available) |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants. |
Government Grants |
|
2 |
Aids and adaptations including discretionary adaptation grants, ‘exceptional top-up’ assistance, low cost adaptation grants, preventative adaptations. |
Council capital resources and external loan and grant funds. |
|
3 |
Address Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. |
Council capital resources External loan and grant funds. |
|
4 |
Create decent private sector homes reducing deaths and hospital admissions due to cold / damp properties. |
Council capital resources External loan and grant funds. |
|
5 |
Reduce fuel poverty and CO2 emissions from heating in private sector homes. |
External loan and grant funds. |
Housing Renewal Assistance policy
The Council approved an updated Housing Renewal Assistance policy in June 2022. The policy contains up to date information on how funds (council and external) will be used to help residents, including supporting residents with disabilities via Disabled Facility Grants (DFGs) and other assistance available.
Download list
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Find out more about the background to the policy here:Download PDF (451.44 KB)
You can also read a copy of the Housing Renewal Assistance Policy which contains more details about how the policy supports residents in Walsall below.
Download list
-
Download our Housing Renewal Assistance Policy 2022-25Download PDF (604.94 KB)
Maximising benefits of limited funding
In January 2010 Cabinet approved the use of land charges in line with national guidance for statutory DFGs. As of 31 December 2022 a total £3,430,300 of land charges have been applied.
With the reducing availability and level of funds to assist residents it is proposed that wherever practicable to offer assistance as grants that are 100% recoverable through a land / property charge on the sale or relevant disposal of the property.
