community led housing london

Brent

Otherwise Living

Otherwise Living is a multistakeholder co-operative with a vision for sustainable urban living to create a healthy, self managed neighbourhood, based in Queens Park.

Their vision is of small private living spaces integrated with large and varied community spaces for many purposes with people of different generations and skills living together. This becomes a place for self-determined living bringing together food, learning, homespaces, smallfunds, wellbeing and workspace.

Otherwise Living aims to create a distinct sense of neighbourhood, which is integrated into the surrounding local area, and explores alternatives to consumerism and over-consumption, while expanding the notions of family, education, community and neighbourhood.

How we’re helping
We will be providing advice on a greater focus on the project scope, finances, and deliverability.

 
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Brent CLT

Affordable housing by the community for the community.

Brent CLT was established in response to the lack of local affordable housing across Brent, when the Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum originally included a commitment to explore community-led housing locally in their Neighbourhood Plan.

A steering group identified a development site in collaboration with Brent Council. They recruited more members and volunteers from across the borough, and developed a functional brief through a series of capacity studies and workshops.

The site lends itself to a modular or pre-fabricated construction, which it is hoped will minimise construction costs. They are looking at a rented scheme aimed at homeless single people and couples, and are looking for more members to join locally and get involved.

How we’re helping
We facilitated meetings on organisational structure and have supported work on project vision and viability. There has been funding from the council for a project coordinator, and we are helping to assemble the professional team, and explore modern methods of construction, as the concept is formalised.

Visit their website