£4 million fund launches to support community-led housing

The government has launched a new grant scheme, totalling £4 million, that will support community-led construction of affordable housing.

The programme allows community groups to meet costs incurred on developing housing for their local area, such as legal and administrative costs, design work and planning applications. The grant scheme will help to support projects that deliver locally affordable new housing which remains under community control through land trusts or co-operatives.

Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher MP said:

Community-led housing is about local people playing a leading and lasting role in solving their housing problems, creating genuinely affordable homes and strong communities where mainstream housebuilders are unable to deliver.

“The Community Housing Fund has been set up to support housing schemes that are truly community-led and will last for generations to come, helping ensure we build back better.”

The grant programme will be managed by the Community Led Homes Partnership (a partnership of leading housing organisations, including Confederation of Co-operative Housing, Locality, National Community Land Trust Network and UK Cohousing Network) who will assess applications and administer grants on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Tom Chance from Community Led Homes added:

Community led housing groups are rooted in their communities and truly understand local housing needs. There are so many fantastic community led housing projects planned across the country. This programme will help many of these projects come to fruition.”

Applications will open on 23 August 2021 and will remain open until all funds are allocated or until 31 December 2021, whichever occurs first. The programme will close in March 2022 – all work funding by the grant must be completed by this date.

To apply for the fund, groups will need to complete an eligibility checker on the Community Led Homes website. If eligible, groups will be emailed an online grant application form.