People involved in local community spaces and organisations, such as Paradise Co-op garden and Kimber Skate Park coming together to form a Community Land Trust. They have identified a site and are working on a partnership with a private developer.
How we’re helping
We have offered support and advice for incorporation and membership building.
Squeezed London are a diverse group of “squeezed middle” Tower Hamlets residents, who came together to build their own affordable homes, after attending LB Tower Hamlets Self Build Forum, a regular meeting organised by the local authority for people on their self build register.
How we’re helping
Squeezed London have been working with our associate advisers to establish ways of working as a group and put together their business case. We helped to clarify their organisational structure, and introduced them to a Housing Association interested in offering small sites for CLH whilst securing close to market value. We supported the group’s due diligence and offer for the site, although this was ultimately not close enough to what the landowner was seeking.
The group subsequently prepared proposals for the Lark Row site through Tower Hamlets’ affordable self build programme, and were selected as preferred bidder. We are currently supporting them in various aspects of the development process.
London CLT have secured a Transport for London owned site through the GLA’s Small Sites Small Builders programme, to deliver affordable homes linked to local incomes.
The site has a complicated planning history, where conventional housing is unlikely to be permitted, although widespread community support for affordable housing could allow homes to be provided where they otherwise wouldn’t.
Tonic aims to create vibrant and inclusive urban LGBT+ affirmative retirement communities.
Tonic was established by the LGBT community to address issues of loneliness and isolation, and provide a fresh approach to growing old together.
They sought partnerships with housing associations providing specialist housing and care projects and identified a number of opportunities. In March 2021 The GLA confirmed a £5.7 million loan for Tonic to purchase recently completed properties in a specialist development in Vauxhaul, designed by Norman Foster.
Tonic@Bankhouse has 19 properties available as Older Person’s Shared Ownership, with access to a communal lounge and terraces in the development.
Tonic Housing also intend to become a registered provider of social housing, so they can also directly provide affordable rented homes in the future.
How we’re helping
We provided support and funding for detailed negotiations with Housing Associations and the GLA on the purchase of the 19 homes.