There is growing interest in community-led housing solutions in the UK. Community-led housing broadly refers to forms of collective, self-organised housing characterised by high degrees of resident participation, community ownership of land and housing, and underpinned by principles of mutual help and solidarity. Community-led schemes have begun to proliferate, but less well studied is the relationship between community-led housing bodies and the public sector – specifically local government. This is significant, for the varied functions of local government, including housing, planning and community development, have the potential to enable or constrict the growth of community-led housing.

This project seeks to provide a greater understanding not only of the ways in which local government enables and understands community-led housing, but also of its key benefits that justify this support and that evidence or challenge core assumptions underpinning alternative forms of housing provision. The project will be based on qualitative research conducted with case studies around England and key stakeholders at a national level.

Timeline: From August 2019

Team: Dr Tom Moore (Co-Investigator), Dr Emma Bimpson (Research Associate), Dr Gareth Young (Knowledge Exchange Associate)

Theme: Governance