Repair and Improvement Grants
Glasgow's Aim for Better Housing
One of Glasgow City Council’s strategic housing aims is to:
“raise the City’s housing in all tenures to satisfactory standards with affordable costs”. This includes private sector housing both tenanted and owner occupied.
Much of the City’s housing stock was built before the first World War and while substantial progress has been made by improving the traditional sandstone tenements, many properties are still sub tolerable or are affected by disrepair and dampness.
Improvement and repair grant aid has been established to assist and encourage owners to upgrade their living conditions and to retain this valuable housing asset for future generations.
Grant aid may be available towards the cost of:
- fabric repairs such as roof, downpipes, dry rot etc.
- installing a hot and cold water supply for the first time
- replacing lead drinking water supply pipes
- installing a bath/shower
- adaptations for disabled people
- Care and Repair for the elderly
Development Funding is provided to support Social Housing providers such as housing associations in the City and to encourage innovation and new build by developers and housing providers as part of the City regeneration.
Private Sector Grants
Grant assistance may be available to help owners in carrying out essential works to their property in order to bring it up to the Tolerable Standard and/or a good state of repair.
There are four grant application forms:
- Improvement Grant
- Repairs Grant
- Disabled Adaptation Grant
- Means of Escape from Fire - Houses in Multiple Occupation subject to service of statutory, Section 162 Notice
Grants for owner–occupiers will be subject to a Test of Resources - Means Test - although for certain categories of grant a minimum percentage grant of 50% of approved costs may be available.
For Landlords/Developers/Commercial Proprietors, grant is subject to an Assessment of Contribution that is based on property values (before works/after works). If appropriate, they are eligible for the same minimum percentage grants as owner-occupiers.
Grant is subject to the availability of finance and at the present time demand far exceeds the funds available for grant consideration. As a result the City Council have had to prioritise the various categories as follows:
- Statutory Responsibilities – Housing Action Areas, Statutory Section 108 & 162 Notices, etc.
- Upgrading of below Tolerable Standard property (BTS)
- Care & Repair for the elderly/disabled adaptations
- Lead pipe replacement
- Discretionary Grants – roof repairs, rot eradication, electrical upgrading, installation of central heating etc.
This will result in delays in some categories of grant being considered, particularly in category 5.
For further information on this or any other grant matter and for grant application forms please contact:
Grants Office
Phone: 0141 287 8590/8592/8593
E-mail:enquirypshg@drs.glasgow.gov.uk
Glasgow Housing Association
Owners involved in GHA programmes of common works of improvement/repairs are also eligible for grant assistance, calculated as above. The Scottish Government have determined that such grant consideration will be funded separately from all other grant categories. Owners eligible for grant assistance in this category should contact the GHA for the appropriate grant application form.
The Projects Section is responsible for monitoring the condition of the older private housing stock and where finance permits, taking action to repair property that is suffering from serious disrepair.