The new General Data Protection Regulations require anyone holding data to review and publish a privacy policy. Here is mine:

1. The data I hold has been voluntarily provided by individuals’ in association with my work on community led housing.

2. The only use I make of this data is to communicate with individuals concerning work on community led housing.

3. This data is stored securely on a password-protected computer at my home.

4. This data will not be shared with commercial organisations.

5. The data I hold complies with the reasons for storing data which are permissible under GDPR

6. As and when I cease to use this data for this one purpose, I will cease to store it.

Andy Lloyd

Technical adviser affiliated to the National Community Land Trust Network

25th May 2018

Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) Director David Ireland prepares to speak in Parliament on Tuesday 26 January in relation to the launch of a new report from the Smith Institute. "In the UK policies designed to help do not look likely to cope. ‘Starter homes’ for new buyers will be unaffordable in more than 58 per cent of local authorities. The market does not look able to provide housing to meet everyone’s needs. With a perspective across the world and across time community-led housing looks less and less niche and more and more like the norm. It’s the UK’s developer led housing model that begins to look like the exception.”

The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) is working to join the dots and bring people together to address many of the recommendations in the Smith Institute report. Through a 2 year project, funded by the Nationwide Foundation, to promote community-led housing and support greater collaboration across the movement. Aiming to: increase awareness and understanding about community-led housing, support collaboration between organisations which provide support and advice for new community-led houses, strengthen the influence of the community-led housing movement

www.bshf.org/.../tried-and-tested-worldwide/

www.bshf.org/.../community-led-housing/

Of the newly announced £60m community led housing fund Local Authorities in Cumbria have been awarded £4,262,383 to boost community led housing schemes

www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/article/2016/12/23/government-unveils-60-million-annual-community-housing-fund

Community-led housing is about local people playing a leading and lasting role in solving local housing problems, creating genuinely affordable homes and strong communities in ways that are difficult to achieve through mainstream housing.

Community-led housing can bring significant benefits including:

·       mobilising public support for new homes and regeneration initiatives;

·       reducing reliance on public services, for example addressing social care through building communities with mutual support for the elderly and vulnerable, and involving homeless people in the renovation of homes;

·       providing a range of genuinely affordable housing in perpetuity, including rented homes that are not susceptible to the Right to Buy, and homes for those priced out of ownership;

·       diversifying the local housebuilding market, and unlocking small sites and landowners that are not attractive or available to established housebuilders;

·       supporting the implementation of duties such providing permissioned plots for individuals and groups on the Self and Custom Build Registers; and

·       promoting community cohesion and resilience that can help tackle issues like antisocial behaviour.

Community-led housing approaches can also bring benefits to participants, including:

·       skills, training and jobs, which can be targeted e.g. at care leavers and unemployed young people;

·       a rewarding collective experience, improving their sense of community and connection;

·       high quality and imaginatively designed homes and neighbourhoods;

·       giving community organisations control over assets and revenue; and

·       mutual support within communities, especially for older people and vulnerable young people.

The newly announced Community Housing Fund provides £60 million per year of revenue and capital funding for the sector. This will be a game-changing fund with significant opportunities for local authorities.

Community-led builders can also access mainstream funding, such as the £3 billion Home Building Fund and money from the HCA’s and GLA’s affordable housing programmes.

Community-led groups have also brought in significant revenue and capital resources not accessible to other housing providers, including commercial lending, social finance, charitable funds, crowdfunding, community bond issues and labour. These cover seed-corn funding for new providers, and pre-development and development finance for schemes, as well as funds for associated aims such as skills training and community development. They can build up new resources and resilience in your communities.