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Thursday, 28 March 2024
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    Community housing accreditation course January 2019

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    Lyvennet Community Trust, Crosby Ravensworth

    David Graham with Rory Stewart MP dedicating the time capsule for Stoneworks Garth. Picture by F C Wilson

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    Keswick Community Housing Trust

    Allerdale Borough Council visit to the Hopes scheme

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    Trustees, community members and supporters at the opening of the Hopes scheme

    Picture courtesy of the Keswick Reminder, December 2013.

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    Leeds Community Homes team meeting

Andy Lloyd

Community Led Homes Accredited Adviser

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Of the newly announced £60m community led housing fund Local Authorities in Cumbria have been awarded £4,262,383 to boost community led housing schemes

www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/article/2016/12/23/government-unveils-60-million-annual-community-housing-fund

Community-led housing is about local people playing a leading and lasting role in solving local housing problems, creating genuinely affordable homes and strong communities in ways that are difficult to achieve through mainstream housing.

Community-led housing can bring significant benefits including:

·       mobilising public support for new homes and regeneration initiatives;

·       reducing reliance on public services, for example addressing social care through building communities with mutual support for the elderly and vulnerable, and involving homeless people in the renovation of homes;

·       providing a range of genuinely affordable housing in perpetuity, including rented homes that are not susceptible to the Right to Buy, and homes for those priced out of ownership;

·       diversifying the local housebuilding market, and unlocking small sites and landowners that are not attractive or available to established housebuilders;

·       supporting the implementation of duties such providing permissioned plots for individuals and groups on the Self and Custom Build Registers; and

·       promoting community cohesion and resilience that can help tackle issues like antisocial behaviour.

 

Community-led housing approaches can also bring benefits to participants, including:

 

·       skills, training and jobs, which can be targeted e.g. at care leavers and unemployed young people;

·       a rewarding collective experience, improving their sense of community and connection;

·       high quality and imaginatively designed homes and neighbourhoods;

·       giving community organisations control over assets and revenue; and

·       mutual support within communities, especially for older people and vulnerable young people.

The newly announced Community Housing Fund provides £60 million per year of revenue and capital funding for the sector. This will be a game-changing fund with significant opportunities for local authorities.

Community-led builders can also access mainstream funding, such as the £3 billion Home Building Fund and money from the HCA’s and GLA’s affordable housing programmes.

 

Community-led groups have also brought in significant revenue and capital resources not accessible to other housing providers, including commercial lending, social finance, charitable funds, crowdfunding, community bond issues and labour. These cover seed-corn funding for new providers, and pre-development and development finance for schemes, as well as funds for associated aims such as skills training and community development. They can build up new resources and resilience in your communities.

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