We believe in the power of community to create a fairer society, and that’s what community-led housing is all about.
We help local groups to create new and affordable homes. Homes that are built by the community, for the community, and designed to meet local community needs. Working with Locality will give your local group the opportunity and support to build the homes your community needs.
What is community-led housing?
Community-led housing projects are led by community groups determined to make sure that new homes are built and empty homes and buildings can be brought back into use to meet local housing needs.
Projects are usually developed by or in partnership with a community organisation, and the local community organisation owns, manages, or stewards the homes in a manner of their choosing.
Community-led housing helps to:
- Create affordable housing for people in need including unemployed people, single parents, young people looking to buy their first house, and key workers
- Support older residents to downsize
- Make sure there is high-quality housing available in the local area
How Locality can help
We have a team of advisors around the country who have experience working with community organisations on a range of community-led housing and community ownership projects. We can support your community-led housing group at every stage of the process.
We can:
- Support your group to explore different community-led housing models and then determine the most suitable legal structure and governance to deliver your project.
- Support your group to engage the community effectively and gain support for your project.
- Help you find a suitable site for housing, assess viability and develop a business plan.
One of the most useful ways to help community-led housing projects to progress is to speak to other people who have experience of the type of project your community is developing and any challenges you are facing. Locality can broker peer learning opportunities with other Locality members so that you can gain both informal advice and support.
We can help you:
- Understand the range of funding available from revenue and capital grants to loans and Community Shares.
- Determine whether you would like to become a Registered Provider and help you though the registration process.
There are also plenty of free resources available on the Community Led Homes website. There are free resources to help get a community led housing project up and running, funding information, case studies, articles and videos.