Will community truly become central to housing policy this year?

The good news is that this focus hasn’t gone away. As communities go to the polls to decide on new leaders, both at the local levels in May and nationally, it’s likely those chasing their votes will be even more alert to what’s important to them.

That won’t be easy to identify and build policies around, but options exist. Take community land trusts (CLTs), a powerful mechanism for delivering new homes.

CLTs allow residents to come together to shape housing schemes, putting them in the driving seat. They can help unlock land that wouldn’t necessarily be made available for development.

CLTs in action

Our CLT development in Nailsworth is a good example. It was established after a community steering group was set up to address local housing needs in the area.

Residents identified a former garage site and acquired it from Stroud District Council for just £1. They later secured planning permission via a ‘Community Right to Build Order’, which offered local residents the chance to vote to give the project the green light.

After the homes were built, the CLT took on its long-term role as steward of the homes to ensure they remain genuinely affordable in the future.

Yet giving communities the ability to influence policies, decision-making and outcomes aren’t confined to housing. 

By engaging with local stakeholders from the outset, local politicians can develop tailored, well-informed policies to tackle homelessness and put placemaking at the heart of their plans.

Housing associations, such as Aster, are critical to delivering on all of these by partnering with CLTs to progress their objectives.

It’s encouraging to see that the importance of these issues has been recognised by central government recently.

The recently published National Policy Planning Framework, which sets out planning policies relating to affordable housing and community-led development, provides a platform for those in the sector to follow.

What’s key now is putting those provisions in place in a way that’s sustainable, fit-for-purpose and achievable.

As the political, business and economic outlook look set to remain uncertain, the silver lining is that communities are likely to be one of the big beneficiaries of a heightened awareness of, and focus on, their engagement.

Housing associations must be ready to support communities in enabling CLTs to help meet their local housing need.

Amanda Williams, chief investment officer, Aster Group