Community urged to take control of housing

The programme by the Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust aims to allow local people to take control of their housing and create alternatives by supporting groups to come together and organise, or build homes.

Andrea Jones,​ programme manager for the Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust, said: "The trust wants to put housing development back in the hands of the people who need it."

The launch meeting, held at the Brighthelm Centre in Brighton on February 21, introduced several co-operative groups to Brighton residents and helped advise them on their journey to owning an affordable home.

"New housing is always being considered, and co-operative groups are continuing to find affordable housing in the city," said councillor Anne Meadows, chair of housing and new homes committee, and co-operative councillor for Bevendean and Moulsecoomb.

The meeting heard from speakers including Cllr Meadows, director of C20 Futureplanners Stephen Hill, and Martyn Holmes – a local success story of a new self-build housing co-operative for low-income families.

"Community-led housing makes us witness to policy and market failures, it allows us to create civic partnerships, and we become market disruptors ultimately unlocking our creativity for social and technical innovation," said Mr Hills.

The event informed residents about how the trust can help them create alternative ways of living, encourage collaborations and create opportunities to make use of Brighton's empty buildings.

Mr Holmes, founding member of Bunker Self-Build Housing Co-op, said: "Co-op groups are not easy, but we wanted to find a solution to our housing problem. We were both in full-time work, but couldn't afford our own homes. An idea was in front of us, and imagining a cardboard house becoming our actual house is amazing."

Brighton and Hove City Council was allocated £464,500 from the National Community Housing Trust, which was awarded to the Brighton land trust to launch the new programme.

Cllr Meadows said the housing situation is frightening for young people if they are not prepared and believes co-operative groups can be the way forward.

Most of the concerns around community-led housing were about funding and which land would be made available for the projects to become reality.

Cllr Meadows said the council would have to think about building up as opposed to building on, because Brighton is surrounded by the South Downs, a national park and is so close to the sea.

For more information on the programme, visit: www.bhclt.org.uk