Building a Future: Affordable Housing Solutions
— 16 Jul 2024, 15:32 by Hugh Dennis
by Nicola Clayton
Who Are We?
Little Ships Housing Community Interest Company (CIC) is a non-profit property developer dedicated to creating affordable homes. Unlike traditional developers, 'profit' we make is reinvested into providing more affordable housing. To understand more about Community Interest Companies, refer to the Community Interest Companies Guidance.
Our name, "Little Ships" is inspired by the heroic rescue mission during World War II, where hundreds of small boats saved almost 350,000 troops from Dunkirk. This extraordinary display of heroism and determination is our inspiration. Just as little ships solved an existential crisis in June 1940, Little Ships Homes aims to provide life-changing help today.
Local councils are already selling or donating their land to community groups. If enough people express interest in needing a home or in self-building, we can approach your Local Council and collaborate to build homes for you and your community.
Where Will These Homes Be Built?
We utilize the space above publicly owned, underused land in our towns and cities, such as the airspace over car parks and rooftops of buildings. While not all car parks and buildings are suitable, our audits show that many are, if you know what to look for.
Why Now?
England has been named the most difficult place to find a home in the developed world. Our ageing population and rising property prices exacerbate this problem. There are many reasons for the housing crisis, and it will take at least a decade to make significant improvements.
Little Ships has found a quick, simple solution to deliver the high-quality, energy-efficient homes desperately needed in almost every part of the country.
Source: Dan Usher, the economics director at Birmingham-based planning consultant Marrons.
Securing an affordable home to live in has become increasingly difficult. Affordable homes provide the safe, warm environment we all deserve and need to learn, work and thrive. This applies if you are among the most vulnerable in society or struggling to save for a deposit to buy or even rent a home.
More affordable homes allow key workers to live closer to essential services like schools and hospitals where they work. The provision of more affordable homes can dramatically reduce the amount of money Local Authorities spend on temporary accommodation, releasing millions to be spent on other local services – a win for everyone!
To ensure everyone has a home, we need to build a minimum of 300,000 homes a year for at least five years. Building on Greyfield land significantly reduces the need to use greenbelt land, preserving our natural environment.
I’m In, Now What?
When we get enough interest registered in a town or city, we will help you organize a community group and identify the best-suited sites for Greyfield development. We will then help you lobby the site owners of the underused land to give your local organization permission to proceed. Given the extent of the housing crisis and the significant budgets some Local Authorities spend on temporary accommodation, its usually a straightforward conversation.
We'll work with you to design the homes, secure planning permission and funding, start building, and get you into your new Little Ships home. This way, you can enjoy an affordable, decent, and secure home.
Send us an email to register your interest in one of our affordable homes, including the name of your town or city. The more people who register with us, the easier our conversations will be with the landowners.
Once we secure permission to develop Little Ships homes, you can join us or one of our partner community groups to rent and/or buy a share of your home. We'll help set it up, but you will control your home when it’s built as part of your community group, with no middle-men.
We also need a flotilla of fundraisers to help generate the money needed for site suitability studies and to negotiate with landowners.
We will be lobbying the Government, as we have high hopes for increased support for affordable housing initiatives. We expect:
1. Increased Funding: More financial support for community housing projects and greyfield development.
2. Policy Support: Streamlined policies that make it easier for community groups to secure land and funding.
3. Sustainability Initiatives: Encouragement and incentives for green building practices to ensure environmental sustainability.
4. Community Engagement: Enhanced collaboration between local authorities and community groups to address housing needs effectively.
By working together, we can make significant strides in solving the housing crisis and providing affordable, sustainable homes for everyone. Join us in this mission and help build a better future with Little Ships Housing CIC.
