Today we launched Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund to assist in refurbishing vacant properties for families to live in.
The Fund will benefit those who wish to turn a formerly vacant house or building into their permanent home and become part of the community in the area, furthering the aim to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.
It will be delivered through local authorities who will provide a grant to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, with priority given to applications in areas where the level of vacancy or dereliction is high. A grant of up to €30,000 will be available for the refurbishment, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as a home before now.
Where a property is derelict, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 will be available, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €50,000. This can also be combined with the SEAI Better Energy Home Scheme that covers works of up to €26,750.
This new scheme complements changes to planning laws that facilitate the conversion of properties into residential use. It can also be combined with the SEAI grant to make it more viable for old buildings to be brought back into use. It’s a major step forward for our towns and villages.
