SCHEMES to turn ‘houses into homes’ have helped scores of people in Meirionnydd and Dwyfor find somewhere to live.

Empty houses across Gwynedd are being renovated to provide homes for the county’s residents thanks to a scheme administered by Gwynedd Council’s Empty Homes Team.

Since it was established in Gwynedd in 2012, the Welsh Government-backed housing scheme has helped to bring back 61 empty properties into the housing market, which has provided homes to 134 individuals or families across the county.

Examples include Plas Newydd, Llanbedr and Geufron House in Tywyn, and Criccieth, where families and individuals will soon be taking up residence.

The scheme is continuing to offer interest-free loans of up to £25,000 per unit to assist owners of empty houses in renovating or converting their properties to either let or to sell on.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Over the past four years, over £1.3 million worth of loans have been distributed across the county to help tackle the ongoing problem of empty homes.