Community Led Housing the Sussex Community Housing Hub

Community Led Housing & the Sussex Community Housing Hub Tom Warder & Graham Maunders

Community led Housing & the Sussex Community Housing Hub • • • What is Community Led Housing Community Land Trusts Added value Community Housing Fund The Sussex ‘Hub’ How and why Local Authorities support CLH 6/8/2021 Slide no. 2

From RHE to HUB 2007 – 2013: Rural Housing Enabling Service - 15 schemes, 250 homes / 2010: “affordable”rents? 2014 – 2017: Sussex Community Land Trust Project - Pipeline of 12 CLT projects 2016 / 17: Community Housing Fund - - 5 year, £ 300 m programme to support Community Led Housing- £ 4. 2 m in Sussex - “build collaboration, skills and supply chains at a local level to promote the sustainability of this 6/8/2021 Slide no. 3 approach. . . ” (DCLG letter to Local Authorities) •

What is Community Led Housing? 1 – Community integrally involved throughout the process. 2 - Presumption in favour of a long-term role for the community 3 – Benefits to the community are defined and protected in perpetuity.

CLH is not… • Just a more intensive engagement and consultation. • A housing association scheme with local council or community backing. • Completely different to a conventional housing development process. • Dependent on free land or unusual subsidy. 6/8/2021 Slide no. 5

Approaches to CLH Cohousing Community Land Trusts Cooperatives Self/custom build Self-help Cohousing communities are created and run by their residents. Each household has a self-contained, private home but residents come together to manage their community and share activities. Cohousing is a way of combating the alienation and isolation many experience today, recreating the neighbourly support of the past.

Approaches to CLH Cohousing Community Land Trusts Cooperatives Self/custom build Self-help Community Land Trusts (CLTs) enable ordinary people to develop and manage homes as well as other assets important to that community, like community enterprises, food growing or workspaces. The CLT’s main task is to make sure these homes are genuinely affordable, based on what people actually earn in their area, not just for now but for every future occupier.

Approaches to CLH Cohousing Community Land Trusts Cooperatives Self/custom build Self-help Cooperative and mutual housing has a community membership comprising the residents and sometimes other local community members. They democratically control the housing organisation which can result in benefits for members such as a better service and new skills.

Approaches to CLH Cohousing Community Land Trusts Cooperatives Self/custom build Self-help All local authorities have a duty to maintain a register of individuals and groups interested in building their own homes, and to provide enough permissioned plots to meet that demand. Forming people into CLH groups can help to organise and develop their projects.

What is a Community Land Trust? A non profit community based organisation that develops housing or other assets at permanently affordable levels for long term community benefit ü Legal definition in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 ü 225 in UK currently, 4 enabling organisations 6/8/2021 Slide no. 10

CLT – key defining features • Community owned and controlled • Open and democratic structure • Permanently affordable homes or other assets • Not for profit • Long term stewardship * Slide no. 11

Community Land Trust self build St Minver, Cornwall All shared ownership No Housing Grant £ 85, 000 build cost (simple design) Modest subsidy North Cornwall DC Managed self build - On time & on budget Slide no. 12 12

Lyvennet Community Trust Crosby Ravensworth 10 rented homes 2 shared ownership Slide no. 13 7 self build plots 13

Lyvennet Community Trust Photo Cumberland & Westmorland Herald Slide no. 14 Pub bought & renovated with community share issue 14

Keswick CLT • 5 homes for rent @ £ 500 per month for a 3 bed house • 5 shared ownership homes @ 50% of £ 265 K • 1 outright sale –with local occupancy restriction • Some grant funding (HCA) and Community shares • Professional team employed by the CLT; Architect, Quantity Surveyor & Housing Association 6/8/2021 Slide no. 15

“Buying from the CLT was the only form of ownership we could afford. The size, quality and affordability has completely changed our lives for the better. ” Gary Lucie Wilson, Keswick Slide no. and 16 16

2015 on site with 22 more homes plus town center conversion to 4 flats Lay people now experts Slide no. 17 17

6/8/2021 Slide no. 18

Sussex CLH schemes 2014: est. Sussex Community Land Trust Project; • Angmering CLT – 12 homes • Ford CLT (1500 new homes) • Icklesham CLT – 15 homes • Lewes CLT – 15 home Self-finish scheme Herstmonceux CLT, Alfriston CLT & Chiddingly CLT Co-Housing projects: Eastbourne & Hastings Community Self Build Project in Burgess Hill Slide no. 19 6/8/2021

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Angmering CLT-Mayflower Way 6/8/2021 Slide no. 21

Community Led Housing – added value / USP • • • Local control - allocations assured - permanence Creating community support Locally affordable Income generating & re-investment Control over location & design Delivering actions from neighbourhood plans Versatility - housing, social enterprise - Innovation Closer community & landowner involvement Enabling the long term stewardship of community assets 6/8/2021 Slide no. 22

6/8/2021 Slide no. 23

Community-led housing is a government priority (2018) £ 240 m confirmed for 2018 – 2021 (Nov. 2017) “Together with you I want to make the idea of communities building the homes they need not a radical departure, but an everyday reality” “To empower more communities. . . delivering these houses is an overriding priority for this government” 6/8/2021 Slide no. 24

Community Housing Fund - Objectives • “deliver affordable housing units of mixed tenure. . . ” • “build collaboration, skills and supply chains at a local level to promote the sustainability of this approach. . . ” • “capital investment, technical support and revenue to be provided to make more schemes viable and significantly increase community groups’ current delivery pipelines. . . ” 6/8/2021 Slide no. 25

Using the CHF – a legacy Local / regional / national programme Slide no. 26

Sussex Community Housing Hub - Supported by Local Authorities in Sussex

The Hub services & support • Robust business planning and feasibility • Technical assistance - finance & development issues • Access funding, grants & loans • Advise on company forms. • Link to legal experts and project partners. • Enabling groups to make informed choices • Support CLTs, Co-housing, Self-build, Coops etc. • Guidance throughout Slide no. 28 6/8/2021

Website 6/8/2021 Slide no. 29

6/8/2021 Slide no. 30

Why local authorities support CLH 1. Improving housing supply and providing permanently affordable housing 2. Supporting regeneration and returning empty homes to use 3. Empowering communities so they come selfsufficient, cohesive, resilient and sustainable 4. Involving residents in addressing housing need 6/8/2021 Slide no. 31

How local authorities enable or support Community-Led Housing 1. Leadership (policy – e. g. East Cambs. DC) 2. A policy environment supportive of CLH (e. g: Arun DC Housing Strategy) 3. Land made available through planning policy 4. Council assets provided through sale or asset transfer (resources) 5. Funding by local authorities Slide no. 32 6. Enabling support 6/8/2021