Community Led Homes
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Community-Led Housing
Local people know their area better than anyone else. They’re often naturally better too at taking on the challenges of sustaining their rural community. By following the path blazed by other villages and towns, CLH is becoming a proven and workable solution to the complex problems facing rural areas. The CLH route might be just the right one for you.
Our Success Stories and news blog will keep you informed on winning schemes brought forward by community effort. Follow these links to find out more….
Community Led Housing is a local process and has been growing in the UK over the last decade, increasingly supported by funders and asset holders as a successful way to tackle the issues that face communities. It’s a method of development with a global reach and in many countries people have been combining resources creatively to enable affordable housing because the problem is one shared by many developed countries. To familiarise yourself with the many new terms in use in the sector Jargon Buster from Resonance is really helpful. Click here for a glossary of terms:
There are also a number of tested models for Community Led Housing that can be researched when looking for a solution to housing issues in your area. Every locality has its own needs and not every model will be the fit for you. They are a structure and can be moulded or combined to suit the needs of the community. In our pages here we talk about Community Land Trusts, Co-housing, Intentional and Cooperative Housing groups, and also ‘Hybrid’ Models that encompass Self-Build/Finish or Refurbish methods to constructing affordable accommodation.
DO I NEED EXPERIENCE?
Anyone can initiate or help to manage a community led housing project ― you don’t need any experience or qualifications. However, you may be surprised at how many relevant skills and experience you and your community do have if you look. People who embark on community-led housing projects come from all walks of life and enjoy working for community benefit and legacy.
People from a finance background, construction, trades, management, communications or personal experience or knowledge provide useful skills for a project. What you don’t have, you can be supported with. All the experience and support you need is available through organisations and CLH Advisors like those listed below ⟱⟱⟱
For DIY-ers, the Community Led Homes website is a font of information and guidance. Their Wayshaper toolkit is a valuable workshopping process that gets to the heart of a group’s needs and priorities. An Advisor or Enabler can lead your group in housing options discussions to help navigate the group’s mission. Find out more about Community Led Homes via the website and how to start using Wayshaper where you are:
CLH Advisors
Each Advisor has undertaken course work and contact hours to achieve the CCH and CLH accreditation–a three to six month process.
Colin Savage
Colin worked as a Rural Housing Enabler for 14 years across West Somerset and North Devon, including Exmoor National Park. He can provide support in: establishing a community-led housing project, advice on planning matters, and on-going support with a project’s progress.
He has experience in working with communities to identify need (and suitable exception sites) for compliance with planning policies and partner-led or community-led processes. Self-build, sustainable building methods and local connection issues are all in his portfolio.
Prior to working as an RHE, Colin worked on a variety of voluntary sector projects regarding housing and employment. From 2001-05, he worked with a multi-ethnic group on their successful housing scheme for older people. Colin.savage2016@outlook.com 07536175509
Prana Simon
I can assist with affordable housing along partnership and self-build routes for local people and organisations. Over the last 9 years I’ve been a CLT director, rural HA board member, and now am a parish councillor working on our Neighbourhood Plan in the South Hams. I also have experience with Housing Needs Survey delivery, Business Plan writing, fundraising, housing and planning guidelines, governance, risk assessment & management and reporting.
Using the Wayshaper toolkit from Community Led Homes, I help groups use their meetings productively– gaining consensus on major priorities and options while they work collaboratively, with clarity and self-reliance. commgoodhousing@gmail.com 07773797647
Thomas Beale
Thomas is a trained Social Enterprise Advisor, and Accredited Community-Led Housing Advisor. His experience includes managing emergency homeless accommodation, helping develop highly ecological modular straw-bale homes, and enabling community-led and self-build housing groups as part of Ecomotive (www.ecomotive.org), a not-for-profit workers co-operative. His portfolio includes CLH groups in Bristol, Devon, Berkshire, Herefordshire, Berkshire and Norfolk. He’s also helped with the creation of CLH Hubs in the West of England and Kent and Bristol City Council’s innovative Social Value and CLH Land Disposal policies. He currently project manages Ambition Lawrence Weston’s Astry Close scheme. Additional specialisms are: business planning, financial strategy and forecasting for CLH. He’s available to work with groups across Devon. tom@ecomotive.org 07769970909
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Middlemarch
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Catalyst Consultancy
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