Futures Forum: Abolish Empty Office Blocks (AEOB: House People) buys its first property in Bristol
a comment has been left with further news.
Here it is:
March update
We completed a survey of the building for asbestos, and found nothing of significant risk. There are a just few pieces we should be able to remove ourselves, with care. Hurrah! We also need to remove all weeds growing inside the footprint of our planned extension....What we’ve been up to – January-February 2015
We want to keep everyone in touch with the project, especially developments on site. Getting our hands on a property was a great step forward. But the work to develop it is complex and has taken our energies away from updating things here! More regular blog posts will...News Update – January
- We have been awarded some funding from the Bristol Green Capital fund to develop vertical gardening at Battens Lane to allow the community to grow more of its own vegetables.
- Article in The Big Issue in December – read it here http://www.bigissue.com/features/rant/4732/rant-empty-office-blocks-should-be-new-homes
- Recorded two spots for Backchat, a radio show which goes out weekly on various community radio stations across the country. More info on dates and stations will be on the Facebook page as soon as we have them.
- See photos of our work so far on our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/AEOBhousepeople
- FURTHER NEWS UPDATES FROM FEBRUARY 2015 ON THE BLOG
Invest with us and your savings can make a real difference
By selling shares AEOB is gathering the funds needed to purchase disused commercial properties and convert them into long term affordable housing with secure tenancies. Our shareholders are those who can spare some money and want to use it to make a positive change. By bringing our financial resources together with the right skills and knowledge we are able to achieve far more than we could as individuals.
We have completed purchase of our first property, and are progressing with the development. With the help of an experienced architect, we are planning to convert the existing building and add a two storey extension to create an energy-efficient property which will provide homes for around 10 adults plus children. Details of our Vision, Mission and Aims and the issues we are trying to address, can be found via the Project page.
We are registered as a Community Benefit Society with charitable status, and have support from Triodos bank and the Community Development Agency, among others.
Our team includes people with experience in successful housing communities, community development, sustainable building design, conflict resolution, and not-for-profit accountancy. You can find out more on our Meet the Team page.
We are seeking further investment to fund the property development without resorting to commercial lending. Our target is £475,000 from community shares before we apply for match funding, which will allow us to cover the total costs without additional lending. If we can achieve this in the first half of 2015 we hope to be able to hand over to residents by the end of the year.
Share values range from as little as £50, and more details including interest levels and our business plan can be found on our Invest Page by clicking the button on the right.
Plus a video on the project:
Published on Nov 26, 2014
A short piece recorded for Made in Bristol Television on Monday 24th November 2014. Tony Crofts and Elinor Kershaw talk about our plans for the building we have purchased using community investment.
Made in Bristol TV piece - Rachael Clarke - YouTube
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