RUSS School of Community-led Housing

Module 1

How to organise a community-led housing project

Introduction

Community-led housing is a way for local communities to address their housing needs by producing their own decent and affordable homes. It is increasingly seen as a viable alternative for those whose housing needs are not met by the mainstream housing market. But how can communities and individuals access community-led housing? How do you set up and maintain a group, find land, organise finance and negotiate with local authorities?

• Creating a group - finding people who share your vision

• Organising - networking and building your membership

• Land - where to find it

• Local authorities - how to work with them

• Procurement and competitive dialogue

• Finance - where is the money?

• Building a professional team

• Allocations - deciding who lives in the homes

• Communications

• Ongoing networking

This interactive workshop-style programme draws from the experience of the Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS) - a Community Land Trust at the forefront of a community-led housing revolution in the UK. RUSS will share the lessons learned over the past 8 years developing its Church Grove Project in Lewisham, south London with aspiring individuals, community groups, students and housing practitioners.

RUSS has faced many challenges and has come up with creative and robust solutions to gaining access to land to build. RUSS is by no means perfect or finished, but has some valuable lessons that can be passed on to those starting out on a journey towards community housing.

Attendee profile for Module 1:

• Individuals or groups looking for an affordable home solution

• Individuals or groups wanting to develop a community-led housing project/campaign

• Individuals or groups looking for a community-led housing solution for a specific area

• Individuals or groups curious about community-led housing, CLTs etc

• Individuals or groups curious about self-build

• Council staff and consultants wanting to know more about community-led housing

• Students and Architects interested in affordable housing, self-build, housing economics, community organising...

About RUSS

The Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS) is a volunteer-led Community Land Trust based in south London, founded in 2009 with the aim of creating sustainable neighbourhoods and genuinely affordable homes. We have a busy calendar of events led by our 800+ members and an ambitious development plan. Our mission is to reduce our communities’ dependence on fossil fuels, increase food security, encourage bio-diversity and provide affordable housing for Londoners. Read more about RUSS here: Evening Standard (May 2016), The Guardian (January 2017) and Positive News (June 2016)

www.theruss.org