LandAid receives new donations to transform derelict buildings
Palmer Capital and Shaftesbury have each donated £30,000 to LandAid, the property industry charity, to sponsor the transformation of derelict properties in Leeds and Newcastle into homes for young people facing homelessness.
The news coincides with the start of Empty Homes Week – a national campaign that aims to encourage the creative use of empty homes to meet housing need.
The funding is the direct result of LandAid’s Sponsor a Home initiative launched three months ago in response to the number of homes sitting empty across the UK.
Palmer Capital and Shaftesbury have each donated £30,000 to LandAid, the property industry charity, to sponsor the transformation of derelict properties in Leeds and Newcastle into homes for young people facing homelessness.
The news coincides with the start of Empty Homes Week – a national campaign that aims to encourage the creative use of empty homes to meet housing need.
The funding is the direct result of LandAid’s Sponsor a Home initiative launched three months ago in response to the number of homes sitting empty across the UK.
Research by the Empty Homes charity has found that 83% of British adults believe the government should place a higher priority on tackling empty homes.
With millions of families on the waiting list for council housing and levels of homelessness rising, the industry’s support comes at a time of critical need, LandAid said.
Shaftesbury’s contribution, raised through staff fundraising efforts, will be used to convert derelict flats above a row of shops in North Shields into three new studio flats. The project, run by YMCA North Tyneside, will provide a stable environment for three young people who might otherwise be forced to live in poor quality B&Bs and private rented bedsits.
In Leeds, Palmer Capital’s donation will enable award-winning charity Canopy Housing to renovate a derelict two-bedroom terraced home and provide construction training for future tenants.
This Empty Homes Week, LandAid is calling on more property companies to join its campaign and help address the wasted resource of empty homes. Those interested in finding out more should email leah.desilva@landaid.org or visit www.landaid.org.
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