Registrations for £1 Billion Building Safety Fund Open on 1 June

The Government announced in the Budget that it will provide £1 billion in 2020 to 2021 to support the remediation of unsafe non-aluminium composite material (non-ACM) cladding system on residential buildings 18 metres and over, in both the private and social housing sectors.

The Building Safety Fund is aimed at making sure tenants, leaseholders and residents living in buildings covered by the scheme are safe, and feel safe, by remediating unsafe non-ACM cladding systems.

The Fund is predominately supporting leaseholders in the private sector, facing significant bills. However, for leaseholders living in buildings owned by providers in the social sector, it will fund the provider’s costs which would otherwise have been borne by leaseholders. The Government expects landlords to cover these costs without increasing rent for their tenants.

Applications should come from building owners, freeholders or managing agents responsible for the upkeep of blocks of flats in England. In the private sector, registration is open to building owners and freeholders. In the social sector, registrations will be open to registered providers of social housing, including local authorities.

The Government is asking potential applicants to register in advance of full applications opening by the end of July 2020. Once buildings are registered, the Government will work with building owners to complete any technical assessments necessary to determine eligibility.

Those who consider they may be eligible are asked to register online from 1 June 2020. The closing date for registrations is 31 July 2020.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick MP said:

‘I will not accept any excuses from building owners who have yet to take action and those responsible should register for the fund so that they can start the remediation process immediately.’

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.