RBH ‘buy back’ pilot is a hit

Clare Tostevin, Head of New Business and Regeneration for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing

Brighter Horizons, the charitable development subsidiary of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has effectively completed a pilot scheme which has resulted in new family homes being added to its housing stock.

In 2009, Brighter Horizons was allocated £300,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to purchase five former local authority houses on the open market. The homes had been former ‘right to buy’ properties which were being sold by the current owners.

Brighter Horizons borrowed additional funds to refurbish the homes and bring them up to Decent Homes Standard. The five properties are ‘pepper potted’ on existing estates across the Rochdale borough and are managed by RBH.

Clare Tostevin Head of New Business and Regeneration for RBH said: “This was a pilot scheme for Brighter Horizons. Working closely with the Council to support the empty property initiative this scheme has brought homes back into use for people in housing need.”

According to the Empty Homes Agency there are nearly 1 million empty homes across the UK and 4,000 empty properties in Rochdale – with the majority in the private sector.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles recently announced that £100 million would be made available to help bring empty homes back into use as part of the national affordable housing programme.

“Refurbishment can be more cost effective than building new homes,” said Ms Tostevin. “This initiative is something Brighter Horizons would definitely repeat if there was funding available.”

Deborah McLaughlin, director North West at the HCA said: “I am pleased to see that the Rochdale Buy Back scheme has been such a success. Supporting innovative measures like the Brighter Horizons scheme that bring empty homes back into use for local people is a really important part of our work.”

Clare Tostevin Head of New Business & Regeneration for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing