Community Land Trusts and Affordable Housing
The Housing Corporation has announced that Community Land Trusts (CLTs) will for the first time be given access to its national investment programme.
CLTs aim to ‘lock-in’ the land value in affordable housing developments to ensure the housing is available for the community in perpetuity. Since the Corporation ran its last bid competition, in 2005 for the 2006-08 period, the cost of housing in many markets has increased by 30%.
The Corporation's Full Prospectus, which will be launched in September 2007, will set out how it intends to provide funding to CLTs for the 2008-11 round.
The Corporation is also working with Community Finance Solutions at Salford University to assist local CLTs to develop working models and get going, usually with housing association help. For more information on this research go to weblink: CFS Research
For general information on Community Land Trusts go to weblink Community Land Trusts
Case Studies It’s early days, but so far, one CLT in Holsworthy in Devon has got five homes through a section 106 agreement. For more information go to weblink Holsworthy CPT Several such as Buckland Newton in Devon (weblink Buckland CLT videolink Buckland video) and Chipping in Lancashire have planning permission. And there is agreement in principle to transfer land in Stroud in Gloucestershire to the CLT (weblink Stroud CLT ) |
Supporting delivery of affordable homes in rural areas
In a further piece of work, The Housing Corporation is undertaking a feasibility study on how best to support the delivery of new affordable homes in rural areas. Views on this proposal are now being sought from a wide range of people and organisations.
The final report of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission identified that existing best practice in the provision of affordable rural homes was not replicated across all rural areas. Barriers and blockages at the local level were preventing progress.
The study, commissioned on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will look at the case for a new time-limited revenue funding programme to help local organisations to overcome local barriers to making affordable housing happen. If the study shows that a new funding programme is needed, funding would be subject to the Comprehensive Spending Review, which will report later this year.
To participate, e-mail enquiries@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk (ensuring that the subject field of your e-mail reads ‘Feasibility Study’) and a questionnaire will be sent to you. Responses should be returned no later than Tuesday 13 November 2007.
How many houses do we need?
A method of calculating the scale of housing need in rural England has been produced by consultants for the Commission for Rural Communities. It shows that between 14,000 and 19,000 newly forming rural households will not be able to access the open market in the next five years. Both a summary and the full report are available for download at weblink Housing need
Action Learning Programme on Rural Housing
The Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA) is running an action learning programme on rural housing at various locations in England in the autumn. It is aimed at local government officers engaged in strategic housing in rural areas. For more information go to weblink Action Learning
Affordable Housing Partnerships Conference
Identifying the policies, projects, markets and funding for the delivery of affordable homes is the theme of the fifth Annual Affordable Housing conference in London on Thursday, October 18.
Sessions include:
• Updates from the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships on the latest round of the National Affordable Housing Programme and the First Time Buyers Initiative. Michael Clegg, Head of Policy, Analysis & Planning at the Housing Corporation, will be speaking.
• Surveying the market for and development of Home-Buy scheme with Tower Homes
• Exploring partnerships for affordable housing with the 4Ps and the role of local authorities in delivery with Brent Housing Partnerships
• Examining funding and financing for social and affordable housing with Nationwide Building Society and EC Harris
• Reviewing regeneration as a driver for affordable housing with Catalyst Housing
• Focusing on the future of the housing market and the impact of affordable home building with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
• Grasping the delivery challenges of low cost with William Verry and the essentials of low carbon housing design with the Building Research Establishment
The conference is aimed at developers, builders, agencies, local authorities and registered social landlords.
For more information go to weblink: conference website