301 vacant refurbishment grant applications received

The SDCC has received 301 Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant applications since 2022.

To date, 124 grants have been processed for payment, totalling to €6.2 million.

In relation to this year, 27 grant applications have been received by the council, which have amounted to over €1.3 million.

Last year the council awarded a total of 60 grants to the amount of €2.9 million.

The grants, which aim to bring more vacant and derelict properties into use as homes, can reach up to €50,000.

Individuals looking to refurbish properties that have been vacant for at least two years can apply for the grants to help them with the transformation.

An additional grant of up to €20,000 is available for properties that are deemed to be derelict.

A new funding scheme, called the Vacant Above the Shop Grant, was announced by The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne.

The aim of this project is to bring life to unused spaces in cities, towns, and villages by converting vacant and derelict buildings and unused above the shop areas into residential homes.

This new grant will support the refurbishment or conversion of vacant space above existing commercial premises to create new homes, while retaining the commercial element of the building.

Those who wish to avail of this grant can expect funding of up to €95,000 for the refurbishment of the first unit above the commercial space.

It will then increase to a further €20,000 per unit if required.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme