£440,000 boost for dynamic housing scheme

Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie, today announced funds of £440,000 for a dynamic Housing Executive initiative across Northern Ireland.

The Living over the Shops (LOTS) initiative, operated by the Housing Executive, helps to breathe new life into town centres by utilising under-used retail space for housing.

Speaking after making the announcement at a scheme in Cookstown town centre, which benefited from £25,000 from the LOTS initiative, Minister Ritchie said: “The Housing Executive LOTS scheme is a valuable tool to regenerate our town centres. The £440,000 funding I have secured is an enormous boost that will allow this valuable work to continue.

“My number one priority is social and affordable housing. By making an investment in the centre of this historic market town, we now have five fully occupied apartments with a successful business operating below.”

Minister Ritchie continued: “From 2011, the LOTS initiative will transfer to Councils under the Review of Public Administration. I want to ensure a high degree of continuity in the interim. I want to hand this over as a going concern. This is the right thing to do and this new responsibility will be a welcome addition to councils’ wider town centre regeneration strategies.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Cookstown town centre scheme – located at 57-59 Molesworth Street benefited from £25,000 as part of the LOTS initiative and, as a result, now houses five occupied apartments and a business.
2. LOTS were introduced on a pilot basis in 2002. It is administered by the Housing Executive as one of its functions to address unfitness. Only properties within a designated Town Centre Living Initiative Area (TCLIA) are eligible for grant funding. Councils are responsible for promoting the uptake of funding, including acting as lead body in the formulation of working groups to manage LOTS opportunities.
3. There are currently 23 active TCLIA’s throughout Northern Ireland Including Antrim, Armagh, Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Ballynahinch, Bushmills, Cookstown, Derry, Donaghadee, Downpatrick, Dromore, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Lurgan, Newtownstewart, Omagh, Portaferry, Strabane, Tandragee and the Woodvale and Shankill Roads, Sandy Row and Donegall Road and Newtownards Road, all in Belfast.
4. Since 2002, 100 units of accommodation have been created at a grant cost of some £900,000. Grant is primarily aimed at landlords and can be awarded at up to 80% of the cost of eligible expenses up to a maximum of £25,000 where one flat or house is created or £30,000 where there is more than one. Owner occupiers may be assisted, subject to means testing.
5. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9497 or Ciara McGuigan on 077921 50486. Out of office hours please contact Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.