A London community housing group has received European funding

A London community housing group has received European funding to share its knowledge and inspire more communities to become ethical housing developers.

London Community Land Trust was formed by Londoners in 2011 to address the need for genuinely affordable homes in the capital. In 2017, their first 23-home project in Mile End was completed. They are now working on their second project in Sydenham, south east London.

The Community Land Trust (CLT) approach is gaining in popularity with communities across England and Wales, to help people who are being priced out of areas they have deep connections with. This February, the Mayor of London announced that ten TFL sites will be made available for development, with the two largest designated specifically for CLT developments.

At London CLT prices are linked to what people actually earn in their local area – this meant their CLT homes are sold and let at around a third of the average property prices.

‘Sustainable housing for inclusive and cohesive cities’ is a £2.9million project which has been funded by the Interreg North-West Europe Programme. London CLT will join other CLT schemes from Brussels, Ghent and Lille as pilots to support more communities to set up their own groups.

The aim is for 33 new urban CLTs to be established by the end of this three-year project. For more information on London’s mentoring scheme and how to get involved, community groups should contact: [email protected]

Hannah Emery-Wright, Membership and Stewardship Manager at London CLT, said:

“London CLT grew out of the community organising efforts of Citizens UK. We believe that when communities come together they are powerful and can bring about real and lasting social change.

“We are proud to be a part of this wider project working with European partners to promote innovative housing approaches. We look forward to sharing what we’ve learnt on our journey with communities to help them transform their own futures.”