Housing

ACT supports Cumbrian communities to understand their housing needs and find people to work with who can help them deliver the affordable homes they need.

We work with community groups like Community Land Trusts and with Parish Councils to explore small-scale opportunities which have broad community buy-in. With our partner Eden Housing Association, ACT delivers the Rural Housing Enabler Service, helping to unlock small sites for affordable homes which can offer the key to more sustainable communities.

With you, we can:

  • Undertake a parish-wide survey to assess local housing need

  • Explore different ways of meeting identified housing need

  • Liaise with landowners and local authority housing and planning departments to identify possible sites

  • Facilitate community consultations

  • Help to secure funding for affordable housing

  • Act as an honest broker between parties as the project progresses, ensuring that the community is able to participate

What you will need to do

Housing isn’t a quick-fix and it may take several years to move from an initial idea to successful development, so setting up a group of people who can help each other stay on track is important.

Below gives an indication of the steps along the way, though they many not happen in this order!

10 Steps to every delivery

Step 1

Recognise the need and make the case for affordable housing

Step 2

The level and nature of housing need is evidenced

Step 3

A suitable site is identified

Step 4

A housing association is brought on board

Step 5

Finance is raised for the scheme

Step 6

The scheme is designed

Step 7

Planning permission is given

Step 8

The scheme is built

Step 9

The homes are allocated

Step 10

The residents move in

Case Studies and examples of good practice

Beyond Cumbria

  • Calder Valley Community Land Trust

    This is a great website showing how a successful community organisation can tackle housing and lots besides.

    Website: Calder Valley Community Land Trust

  • Canopy

    Self-help housing project in Leeds – helps to tackle homelessness by getting people with nowhere to live working together to reclaim empty homes.

    Website: Canopy

  • Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT)

    Explore HACT to see how Housing Associations have been involved with – or have catalysed – opportunities for community action.

    Website: HACT Community Led Housing Case Studies

  • Lancaster co-housing group

    A pioneering ‘intentional community’ build project (to passivhaus standard). Members are very willing to share their learning, with regular tours and open days. They are currently working on a ‘senior co-housing’ extension to their existing community of around 40 homes, with well-planned shared facilities.

    Website: Lancaster Cohousing

  • LILAC – Low Impact Living Affordable Community

    A great, well established co-operative in Leeds who host ‘learning days’ so you can go and find out all about them. Their website has loads of inspirational ideas for co-operative living which they are happy to share.

    Website: LILAC

  • My Community/Locality

    These tend to be rather urban focused but they tell interesting stories and illustrate a range of approaches and partnerships.

    Website: My Community / Locality Community Led Housing Case Studies

For more information contact franrichardson@cumbriaaction.org.uk our Lead Adviser on housing.

You may also be interested in

  • The Abbey Staveley – Building community power through Community Asset Transfer

    This case study has been produced by Rose Regeneration as part of our Esmee Fairbairn funded work about Community Voice. It explores the lessons learned through the journey of Staveley Community Trust to try and secure a former Cumbria County Council care home building for continued use by those in need in the community. There is some good learning here even though the great vision of the community has not been realised. If you read this case study and want to know more, please get in touch.

  • Eden Housing Association work closely with us on delivering the Rural Housing Enabler Service. We work together with other rural Registered Providers of social housing to make sure rural communities are not overlooked.

  • The National Community Land Trust Network provides useful guidance on what to consider if you decide to become a Community Land Trust and The Confederation of Co-operative Housing offers some great advice for community housing groups across the country.