community led housing london

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Lambeth Self Help submit planning

Lambeth Self Help have submitted planning applications on two microsites in the borough. 

The designs produced by Chance de Silva Architects show what is possible with clever design to make the most of very small spaces whilst still meeting space standards and contributing positively to the streetscape. The new homes will allow existing co-op members to downsize into attractive and accessible new homes, allowing new households from the Council’s waiting list to be accommodated in larger existing properties.

Lambeth Self Help is a fully mutual housing co-operative, representing the interests of members since the 1970s. The co-op worked with CLH London to review their development strategy and select a suitable professional team, and have also received advice on planning and delivery.

This will be a significant project for Lambeth Self Help, who own a number of Victorian street properties in the borough. It comes alongside an environmental retrofit programme they led for other homes, which secured government funding.

 

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Site approved for Brent CLT

Brent Council Cabinet has approved plans to look at Brentfield Road in Stonebridge as the site for new homes.
Plans were brought forward by the Brent Community Land Trust, a group made up of local residents, who are supported by Community Led Housing London, in their ambitions to provide affordable housing across the whole of the borough.

If the project secures planning permission, it would transform a small parking lot and eight disused garages into much-needed homes for Brent residents. All of the homes would be priced at an affordable rent in line with the average local income for people already living in the area.

Atara Fridler, Chair of Brent CLT, said: “We’re so pleased to be working with Brent Council and the local community to realise our vision of delivering much-needed homes in Brent. We can’t wait to see how a community led approach to the design, planning and management of homes at this site can help us deliver more affordable housing for local people controlled by local people.”

Brent CLT is exploring designs that would maximise use of the site, recognising how difficult it is for those with low incomes to secure affordable housing in the private rented sector.

Cllr Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Renters’ Security, said: “This is the first, exciting step in Brent CLT’s journey towards providing genuinely affordable homes for Brent residents.
“I am looking forward to seeing how this project progresses in its engagement with the local community who will be invited to share their ideas throughout the design, planning and construction stages.”

 
Brent CLT was established in 2020 and is an independent, not for profit, membership organisation. You can find out more about Brent CLT and register for updates on how to get involved on www.brentclt.org.uk

 

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Power Sharing: Coproduction in Practice

We held a launch workshop for our recently published framework for Coproduction in Housing and Regeneration on 21 April. There was a great turnout from across sectors including housing associations, resident groups, local authorities and independent housing practitioners. It was covered by Inside Housing. Diving into what it means to share power and put coproduction into practice in new development projects or  in the management of existing places, led to thought provoking and enthusiastic discussion. The outcomes are already influencing how we’re working, and the support we’re providing. Here are some reflections from the day that we’ve found particularly insightful.

There is lots of interest!
It was clear from the conversations throughout the morning that there is a real interest in finding a different way for local authorities, housing associations and others to work with residents and communities, and that learning from each other will be key to building capacity within relevant sectors. Stay tuned or get in touch for more on this!

One tool of many
Coproduction has the potential to diversify access to, and involvement in, decision-making (especially when there is an explicit focus on sharing power and building trust). However it is not a panacea, and should be considered as one of a number of measures (including organising and education) for addressing barriers to access, particularly among those whose voices are traditionally most excluded from housing and regeneration processes.

From ‘power over’ to ‘power with’
Acknowledging the multiple understandings of power that exist, coproduction can be seen as the effort of housing providers and others to move from a position of having “power over” communities, to having “power with” communities to affect change and innovate the way projects and services are delivered.

Leadership buy-in
A key challenge to implementing effective coproduction is securing buy-in at director and management level. This requires being able to clearly articulate coproduction’s value across an organisation and demonstrating this with existing projects and case studies. This is something we’re already working on, so get in touch if you’d like more info!

Coproduction workshop

How we can help

We learn by doing. We’re currently working on a number of projects to put these ideas into practice and are looking for more organisations to partner with. Our projects range from regeneration and development to housing services and management. Below is a summary of how we can support your organisation to deliver effective coproduction. Do get in touch if you would like to know more!

Initiating new or evaluating existing coproduction processes
Whether you’re at the start of a process or halfway through, we use practical tools to help establish and review practices around governance and accountability, roles and responsibilities, collaborative practice, collective decision-making and more.

Ongoing support
We provide ongoing support to enable effective coproduction throughout the course of a project or process. The type of support varies depending on what’s required and can range from independent chairing and facilitating of steering groups to ongoing mentoring or tailored training and capacity building.

Building long-term social value
As well as transforming projects and service delivery, we want to see coproduction used to initiate new models of community management, stewardship and ownership of homes, businesses and neighbourhoods. There’s plenty of examples of this out there, so get in touch if you’d like to find out more!

 

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Age-friendly communities roundtable

Our director, Levent Kerimol, took part in this panel organised by Inside Housing, alongside several other leaders in housing.

He made the point that many of the things older people want in terms of not being done unto and feeling in control of their homes, were also what the rest of us want. This agency can create the sense of belonging, and that it ought to be up to people themselves in how they live, with other older people, or with a range of generations.

The rest of the discussion is on pages 1 & 2 and pages 3 & 4.

 

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What makes it community led?

Our director, Levent Kerimol considers what we mean by ‘community led’?

The recent National Planning Policy Framework consultation proposed a new definition for community led development, which got us thinking again about community led housing and what makes it unique.

We have previously looked at the CLH definition agreed by the sector and the GLA and government around 2017. However we have sometimes seen community led housing misunderstood as housing developed by community organisations.

We believe the role of residents and prospective residents in controlling their own housing is critical.

There are undoubtedly many great organisations doing great work, serving particular geographic or demographic communities. However, these may not be community led, even if their boards are made up of people who come from that particular community.

Arrangements where residents cannot control these organisations can perpetuate the same paternalistic landlord-tenant relationships that exist across affordable and private rented housing. This paternalism is even present to some extent with constrained consumers buying generic new-builds, without real control of what is provided. It is a mentality of charity bestowed unto beneficiaries, which can be disempowering, however well-intentioned.

Without a resident/community membership making decisions or controlling the organisation by electing the board or governing body, there is little difference to any other housing association, however large or small.

If people are happy with the way things are run, democratic control may not always be vigorously exercised, but simply having the ability to elect the board, or stand to be on the board, is empowering, and encourages behaviours that are more considerate to member wishes from those in leadership positions. Not all community led housing organisations are perfect. Democratic cultures need to be actively practiced and embodied so they are not lost, and there is a responsibility to share knowledge and information.

Sometimes residents are unfamiliar with this power and responsibility, and are cautious about embracing it in full. We believe this empowerment is also connected to the ‘sense of community’, which can exist in conventional housing, but is significantly reinforced when there are shared responsibilities and mutual obligations amongst a group of residents. This is most easily visible through the gardens in community led housing.

Direct democratic control and accountability is a key differentiator of community led housing, and should be available to (prospective) residents, even if others from the wider community are also members of the organisation.

Sanford Housing Co-op gardens

 

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