East Suffolk Council
Funding for Community Led Housing
Community Led Housing Project - support available
The combination of the rural idyll, picturesque market towns and coastal destinations, makes East Suffolk a very desirable place to live. This in turn has led to high land values and limited affordability for households living on low or average wages.
Affordable housing is an umbrella term used to describe subsidised rent or home ownership products available to people in housing need and usually managed by a housing association or local authority, whilst the location and design of the scheme is negotiated between developers and planning authorities.
Increasingly, communities throughout England have voiced their frustration and opposition to mainstream housing delivery and at times fought national developers and councils to deliver schemes that meet the needs of that community.
Mainstream developer led housing schemes deliver a range of market and affordable homes. This is to ensure that the needs of local residents are met. However, communities are resisting such developments stating that the homes are not linked to local incomes whilst affordable rented homes are not protected for future generations. This has led to a loss of affordable rented homes via the ‘Right to Buy/Right to Acquire’ legislation.
As communities seek to take more control of the housing delivered in their communities, alternative delivery models have been used to create sustainable, affordable communities, with the bonus of affordability protected for future generations.
Using either the Co-operative housing, Cohousing or Community Land Trust models, (Community Led Housing), communities throughout England and Scotland have delivered housing, schools, employment space and green space for the benefit of their community.
Support and guidance is available for emerging Community Led Housing groups by contacting our Community Led Housing team.