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This year the UK’s National Empty Homes Week runs from 28 November to 2 December to celebrate organisations bringing empty properties back into use to meet housing needs.  We’re celebrating the achievements of our World Habitat Awards projects over the years with a focus on empty properties across the globe.

World Habitat Awards finalists 2016-17

Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust is a community-led regeneration project in Liverpool, UK, which successfully halted demolition of houses in the Granby area with the aim of renovating homes for 250 families.

The Urban Shelter Project in Jordan works to renovate uninhabitable properties to create homes for Syrian refugees. So far the project has created 5,100 homes for over 18,000 refugees to live in for 18 months rent-free.

Through the renovation of abandoned historic homes in New Orleans ,USA, the Iberville Offsites: affordable homes resisting gentrification project reduces the blight of empty derelict properties after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.

World Habitat Awards winner 2015-16

World Habitat Awards winner Self-Help Housing in the North of England, delivered by Canopy and Giroscope, are two separate housing charities that train homeless and vulnerable people to renovate abandoned properties and bring them back into use.  The completed houses provide low cost homes for local people who are homeless or in housing need.

Martin Newman, director of Giroscope said: “Disadvantaged people are involved in the renovation of empty properties gaining valuable work experience and training along the way providing a sustainable and holistic approach to community regeneration.  In November 2016 Giroscope acquired its 100th residential property which was a landmark moment for our organisation”.

Find out more about this award-winning approach in this youtube video.

Other World Habitat Awards projects from the last 30 years include: Hebron Old City Rehabilitation Programme, MEDINA Project: Economic Development of Historic Cities in Yemen and Housing Programmes in the Historic Centre of Havana.


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