community led housing london

Harrow

Homes in Mind

Homes in Mind aims to provide transitional housing for people with mental health issues before or after they enter institutions.

The concept has been developed by the local mental health charity Mind in Harrow, and empowers people with experience of mental health issues in defining mutually supportive housing. It aims to support people to live a healthier and more active life; promoting independence, inclusion and wellbeing; giving people the support they need to be as independent as they choose. Critically, in enabling people with mental health problems to live independently, the scheme will help prevent mental health deterioration. This will impact on homelessness, reduce the need for step-up supported accommodation and reduce demand for inpatient stays.

Feasibility work has explored the provision of small schemes across various council owned sites, and there is approval to focus on two infill sites. The project is now moving towards a planning application.

How we’re helping
We have worked to define the co-production and community led nature of the project and helped to incorporate a suitable organisational form, which ensures the intended residents are part of the governance of the organisation.
We provided funding and advice to refine the designs, site capacity, and viability modelling with a team of consultants, and are continuing to provide advice to the Homes in Mind board on development and partnership options with potential Registered Providers.

 Visit their website

Cohousing Harrow

A group of families and individuals looking to build a supportive, mixed tenure cohousing community in Harrow.

They have been meeting regularly to establish their shared objectives and have a desire for a scheme of 20-25 homes. They have been researching different incorporation options, including Mutual Home Ownership by attending training and workshops.

How we’re helping
We have held workshops to clarify their membership and prioritise their objectives and have held seminar/training sessions to look at outline schemes, indicative costs, and the financial capacity of the group. We are now beginning to support a more systematic search for sites.

Visit their website

Zahra Housing Co-op

Zahra are a fully mutual housing co-op looking to build affordable homes suitable for multi-generational living. Several generations living together can bring many social benefits including help with childcare as well as health and wellbeing benefits for older relatives.

As private renters, they have found most rented properties on the market unsuitable for such larger families, and are also looking for stability and security of tenure.

Zahra attended several workshops held by Harrow Council, and registered the co-op to explore community led housing on small sites in the borough. The co-op intends to be responsible for the construction and maintenance of the homes.

How we’re helping
We have been working to clarify options and their implications and helping Zahra commission financial modelling and capacity studies on a small redundant garage site. We helped pull this together into a business plan clarifying governance. This was well received by the council, who gained cabinet approval for the principle of transferring a number of sites for CLH projects.

We supported Zahra in the selection of their professional team and have had pre-application meetings to help in refining the scheme with further detail. The designs produced by Civic introduce 4 homes respecting nearby trees and continuing the building line to create two small courtyards. A scheme improving parking for neighbouring residents, was recently submitted for planning permission.

We have also led conversations on finance and viability and the practicalities of RP status. We have devised an innovative low deposit Shared Ownership tenure, with a cap on maximum staircasing to ensure the homes remain affordable in perpetuity.

 

Read Zahra’s blog on inter-generational living