A new website has been launched which will offer help and advice to local people who are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live.
Those who visit the ‘Tai Teg’ (‘Fair Housing’) website will have the opportunity to register their details, and to keep up to date with the latest developments and grant options.
Tai Teg is aimed at local people interested in home ownership who currently cannot afford to buy on the open market, and who might be eligible for help.
Run by Gwynedd Council in partnership with Anglesey Council, Tai Teg works closely with housing associations, the Welsh Government, private developers and estate agents to provide information about the availability of houses and how to apply for financial support.
Elliw Llyr, Gwynedd Council’s Housing Strategy Pilicy Manager, said:
“Many of us are aware of the problems facing local people who are struggling to find affordable homes in their own communities.
“The problem is most acute for first-time buyers or those who have seen a change in their circumstances, for example, a relationship breakdown resulting in people looking for a new home on one wage, or a growing family looking for a larger home.
“There are programmes that do provide help for local people in these situations, and the Tai Teg website provides information about these.
“It also includes a simple online application form which people looking for a home can fill in – so we have a link between the schemes that are available and those in need of assistance to buy.”
She added: “I would urge people who are struggling to rent or buy their own home on the open market to visit the website and to register their details so that they can be kept in the loop about the most recent developments.
“It’s also a vital tool for the Council to learn about where the need for affordable homes is and what problems people are facing, so that we can fine tune our policies and work programmes to help Gwynedd’s communities.”
Tai Teg will complement the many schemes already in operation in Gwynedd to help provide suitable homes to buy or rent for local people.
These schemes include:
- Help to purchase or part-purchase a housing association home.
- Legal agreements to ensure newly built houses are kept for the local market.
- Schemes to bring empty houses back into use.
- Working with private landlords to ensure the availability rental houses
Case study
Annwen Owen was able to move into her new house on Lôn Eilian, Caernarfon in November after purchasing it through the Home Buy scheme.
Under this scheme, the Welsh Government pays up to 30% of the value of the house through a loan. No interest is paid on this loan, but it must be repaid when the house is sold – at the rate of the same agreed percentage of the value of the property at the time.
“The Home Buy scheme has been great as it has enabled me to have a house of my own, something that would have been impossible for me otherwise,” said Annwen.
“All I had to do was to fill in an application form last summer and as soon as I got an approval in principle, I was able to start looking for a suitable house.
“I had to find a deposit of 5%, but thanks to the Home Buy loan, I only required a mortgage for 65% of the value of the property.
“This keeps my monthly mortgage payments low, which makes my home affordable for me.”
To be eligible for help, your household must have at least five years local connection through residence, family or work in Gwynedd, and also must show that your income is insufficient for the purchase of a suitable property for your needs on the open market.
For more information, please visit the new website on www.taiteg.org.uk
