New Report Endorses Self-Help Housing

The Government should actively promote community groups who are working with local people to bring empty properties back into use, and make existing funding available to them. These recommendations come from a report released by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) into ‘self-help housing’. The report highlights how self-help housing can contribute to a number of government aims, such as increased localism, addressing the blight of empty homes, and building a Big Society of active community participation.

Read it here:  Self-Help Housing- Supporting Locally Driven Housing Solutions

Grant Shapps Calls For More Self-Help Housing Projects

 

Grant Shapps has recently called for more self-help housing projects and endorsed the work of Canopy and Self-Help Housing.Org

 ”GRANT SHAPPS CALLS FOR MORE SELF-HELP HOUSING PROJECTS TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS

Housing Minister Grant Shapps today said councils will be able to claim extra Government cash by backing pioneering housing schemes that give homeless people training opportunities and a roof over their head, and at the same time bring empty homes that blight neighbourhoods back into use.

The Minister is calling on councils and housing associations to give more support to projects like the Canopy Housing Project in Leeds, which is bringing back into use empty properties, often with the help of homeless people.

Describing this as a win-win for local communities and homeless people, Mr Shapps said backing the excellent work of the self-help schemes, which are providing an invaluable service to the local community, and helping homeless people get their life back on track, also provides clear benefits for councils who will have extra money to spend on the local area. The extra funding will go towards anything the community chooses, whether council tax discounts for residents, better parks and playgrounds, or supporting more schemes to provide training opportunities for homeless people.

The cash incentives for councils through the New Homes Bonus mean for every home that self-help housing projects renovate, the extra council tax will be matched for six years – so if ten typical houses are brought back into use, the council will receive nearly £100,000 of extra funding from the Government.

Self help housing groups negotiate with the owners of empty, boarded up properties to organise whatever repairs are necessary to make them habitable, in return for letting the groups who do the repairs live in the property. These are often homeless people or those who can’t afford to buy their own home, as well as individuals who have not been offered a tenancy by the local council or housing association.

Mr Shapps said:

“The superb work that these housing schemes are already doing shows the scale of what can be achieved when community self-help is combined with cash incentives from the Government. Not only are the empty properties that ruin neighbourhoods being lived in once again, but homeless people are getting a roof over their head and excellent training opportunities that will help them get a job.

“People often ask me what can be achieved through communities working together– well here’s the answer. That’s why I’m calling on councils to back these schemes, because this is a win-win solution for everyone. There are over 700,000 empty properties across the country, covering every corner of our towns and cities – more projects like these will get people into housing, provide valuable employment skills, create better places to live, and at the same time give councils extra cash to tackle homelessness and spend on the local community.” 

The Canopy Housing Project in Leeds is a self-help, community housing project which was started in 1998. It renovates derelict and empty houses to create decent homes for people that are homeless.

The work of Canopy has brought together lots of volunteers from the local community to learn skills, increase confidence, break down barriers and make big improvements to local neighbourhoods. Volunteers come together and help new tenants to paint, decorate and furnish their new home. 

Mr Shapps said anyone who is interested in setting up their own scheme should contact self-help-housing.org, who are the experts at promoting and supporting self-help housing initiatives.

 DCLG Release – EMBARGOED 00.01 SUNDAY 06 FEBRUARY 2011

 

Phoenix Housing Co-op Recruitment

Phoenix is a self-help housing co-op providing housing for single people on low income across Hackney and Tower Hamlets. It’s member-led and  encourages all members to take an active role. The Co-op wants to appoint a Site Manager capable of project managing  the complete renovation of nine flats in East London, whilst supporting the professional and personal development of Housing Plus volunteers and trainees &  an ETE Co-ordinator who can manage and co-ordinate the participation of all volunteers and external trainees in this  renovation project who will take the lead in recruiting and inducting all trainees, providing on-going mentoring support as well as liaising with external ETE providers.

Closing Date  21^st April

Housing Plus Site Manager JDPS April 2011   Housing Plus ETE Co-ordinator April 2011