Our funding of a programme to support community-led housing schemes in their infancy has had great results. The availability of support can make or break whether a much-needed scheme can get off the ground. We want to ensure that community groups wanting to deliver community-led housing can realise their vision and ultimately enable local people to establish settled lives, close to family and employment.
Using over £160,000 of funding from the Nationwide Foundation, the charity Locality has supported 22 communities across England since 2013.
Locality’s Early Stage Support programme has helped both newly formed groups and established anchor organisations to progress plans for building new affordable homes or refurbishing existing buildings to create affordable housing.
Examples of the project’s successes and impact include:
Building affordable accommodation for young people in need with Kajans Women’s Enterprise. This group received help to make plans to build 30 work-live pods for young people on the site of a derelict site on land leased from Birmingham City Council.
Developing affordable community-led housing in Cornwall – St Just in Roseland CLT. This community land trust is hoping to facilitate the building of 12 to 14 properties for affordable rent on part scrub land and part agricultural land, with a mixture of one, two and three-bed properties to cater for single people and families.
Developing an intentional co-housing community with London Older Lesbian Cohousing. This group has moved from imagining what its project might be, to developing the governance structure, a business plan and outline project plans.
Exploring community-led housing and assets with Middleport Matters. This young community group in Stoke-on-Trent has received support to help with its long-term sustainability and support to acquire assets and housing.
This grant to Locality was awarded under Decent Affordable Homes Phase One. More can be found here.
