Communities across the country are set to benefit from a £6 million funding boost to help them build more of the homes that their area needs, says Housing Minister Kit Malthouse MP.
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The Community Led Homes Programme – managed by 4 leading housing charities – will provide local people with funding to kickstart community-led housing developments.
Funding of up to £10,000 will be provided to groups to cover start-up costs such as legal fees, and a further £3.5 million will be made available to provide technical advice and support to guide communities through the process of building houses.
Housing Minister, Kit Malthouse MP, said: “For too long, governments of all stripes have failed to build the homes our country needs, but we are turning that around. Last year we delivered over 222,000 homes but we need to deliver more good quality properties, and the community-led housing programme will help us do just that. Alongside £6 million of funding, the programme will also provide crucial training and advice to local groups, ensuring that we are not just building better homes but also building better communities.”
Head of Community Led Homes, Samantha Jones, said: “Communities want to play their part in tackling the country’s affordable housing crisis and many are forming community led housing groups to do so. In the next five years the movement will build over 5,000 affordable homes. We’ve created the Community Led Homes programme to help this figure increase further still, and in time, for community led housing to become a mainstream housing option.”
The move has been welcomed by the National Federation of Builders (NFB). Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB, said: “The Government is listening to the industry and unlocking important funding for a range of developments. Encouraging community housing is a positive step towards tackling the housing crisis.”
Rico Wojtulewicz, Head of Housing and Planning Policy for the House Builders Association, said: “Community housing is win, win because it unlocks local development and supports the regional construction supply chain. After three years of repeating this message to every minister that would listen, it’s great to see the Government grab the housing supply opportunity that community housing offers.”
