The Community Led Housing Programme will open in Summer 2018. Seed grants for feasibility and pre-development work will be available with an average grant size of £55,000. Grants will only be available for projects in Bristol, Leeds, and Liverpool City regions. Two further locations will be confirmed in due course.
Seed Grants will enable groups to:
– Purchase external professional services to develop a planning application and a viable business plan. This could include but is not limited to architects or surveyors fees, structural engineering advice or expertise to develop a planning submission.
– Pay for internal costs such as dedicated staff time, project management and the cost of community engagement events.
In addition, Power to Change is currently working to establish Community-led Housing Enablers. These organisations, based in the areas of focus listed above, will provide one-to-one support to local groups to develop their own housing.
CLH Enabler organisations will provide advice on all aspects of community-led housing, help groups to understand how to work in their local context and successfully deliver new and refurbished homes from start to finish.
The programme will open in summer 2018 with guidance notes and supporting information provided on this page. Sign up to our newsletter to get notification of the launch.
Why Community Led Housing?
The cost of housing is higher than ever. Many of us are now spending over 35% of our net household income on rent and mortgages. This inevitably leads to an increases risk of arrears and the need to cut back on essentials. Many people are paying so much for accommodation that the rest of their lives are impoverished. Alternatively they may have to move away from their local social and support networks to find accommodation that is within their means.
Community-led housing offers a solution to this. Communities can build their own housing, cutting out profit driven developers to reduce costs. Community-owned housing can also generate long term income from rental income and other sources to reinvest in services and activities needed by local people. CLH can also be a good choice for older people who need to downsize or move into supported accommodation.
