Once the house has been renovated, the Wooonhaven housing company will take care of the rental. — © WAS
Owners of vacant homes can have them renovated by the social enterprise Het Pandschap. This house will be rented out for social housing through the housing company Woonhaven. The owner receives a monthly rental income.
“Renovating a home can be a complicated and very intensive assignment,” says Els van Doesburg (N-VA), Antwerp Alderman for Housing. “Not everyone has the time, courage or expertise to thoroughly renovate a building. In this way, too many homes in our city end up in poor condition and ultimately vacant. As a city, we work together with Het Pandschap, which supports owners by fully coordinating the renovation works. The house is then rented out by housing company Woonhaven Antwerp.”
Antwerp alderman Els van Doesburg. — © Joris Herregods
Hendrik and Carine own an apartment in the Van Halmalestraat in Antwerp and they joined this project.
“There was a need for a number of small repairs, but also larger works such as the installation of a patio door and cladding and painting work,” say Hendrik and Carine. “We don’t live in the area ourselves, so we didn’t know any contractors who could carry out the adjustments. Het Pandschap is aware of all living conditions and requirements that an apartment must meet. In addition, the renovation works are done with high-quality, sustainable and budget-friendly building materials.”
Renovation premium
Sven Claes from Het Pandschap really needs it. “Especially when it concerns an inheritance or when a parent moves to a residential care center and people don’t know what to do with the home,” says Claes.
An employee of Het Pandschap checks with owners for which renovation premiums they are eligible. By subsequently renting out the building socially, the renovation premiums increase and up to fifty percent of the costs can be reimbursed.
After the renovation, housing company Woonhaven Antwerp will rent out the building. The owner of the property receives rental income every month, even when the property is not rented. This means that costs incurred can be recovered with certainty. (svw)
Tags: Het Pandschap renovates vacant homes social rental Antwerp
){kind=link}