County Durham residents with disabilities are being reminded to take advantage of home improvement grants of up to £30,000.
Durham County Council’s Home Improvement Agency helps disabled and vulnerable residents access grants to adapt their homes to meet their needs.
Disabled Facilities Grants can help to fund improvements that will enhance disabled people’s quality of life, enabling them to live in their own homes for longer.
Typical adaptations include:
• ramps • level access showers
• stairlifts • external lifts
• through floor lifts • internal alterations
• extensions (for ground floor living) • external alterations
Owner-occupiers, private rental tenants and housing association tenants are all eligible.
As well as the grants, home improvement loans are available to anyone who owns their own home. Repayment, equity and interest free loans are on offer and can fund works including roof renewal and repairs, window and door renewal, damp proofing, electrical and heating improvements and structural work.
There is also a project management service for anyone planning adaptions in their own homes. For a small fee, a housing surveyor can design to an individual’s brief, tender, appoint contractors and project manage the work through to completion. This can be anything from small scale internal work to larger extensions, along with adaptations for disabled clients who do not qualify for grant assistance.
The Home Improvement Agency also provides advice and guidance to help people who are older and/or disabled find out about adaptions that could benefit them.
For more information about who is eligible and how to apply, visit www.durham.gov.uk/article/3373/Disabled-Facilities-Grant or
contact ddhia@durham.gov.uk or the council’s Social Care Direct team on 03000 267 979 or scd@durham.gov.uk
