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Latch Housing Project - Leeds

Origins

Leeds Action To Create Homes Ltd. (LATCH Ltd.) was established in 1989 and works with homeless people and volunteers bringing disused and derelict properties back into use. Over the last 19 years it has completed numerous self-help projects and has provided homes, and opportunities to develop building skills, to hundreds of people.

LATCH is committed to working with other locally based organisations and aims to help regenerate the neighbourhoods in which it works by providing both housing and support, while at the same time building the confidence and skills of service users so that they can move on to lead independent lives.

Properties/Staff

Latch currently manages and owns 37 properties in the Chapeltown Burley and Harehills areas of Leeds. It has nine members of staff and a turnover of around £300k.

Latch started out renovating disused properties obtained at low cost or on loan from their owners (such as the city council and friendly housing associations). Of the current properties, one third are owned by Latch and the remaining two thirds are leased from partner organisations.

Renovation

The staff team has a wide range of both construction related skills and experience of working with unskilled people and are able to oversee work on properties.

However, finances permitting, contractors are used on projects to undertake certain tasks requiring particular expertise (e.g. electrical testing work, heating installations etc).

The costs of renovating properties are met from rental income and any available grants. For example, in the past Latch has secured some funding from the National Lottery Leeds City Council and a Single Regeneration Budget and various trusts.

Occupants

Latch houses mostly single homeless people and families who have connections with the areas in which it works.

Current Activities: There are four strands of activity currently underway:

A new “Hands On” training project which will be located in a small local listed building and will provide training in various aspects of construction for young unemployed people

An established Supporting People project providing floating support to a number of Latch tenants. This accounts for a large proportion of their income and securing continuing funding for this is a major priority.

Routine housing management of the rest of Latch’s housing stock, which often involves prospective tenants working on their own accommodation

A Property Expansion Project aimed at securing further properties through purchase, development or leasing arrangements with partner organisations.

Funding

Over the years, Latch has been successful in securing grants from a variety of charitable trusts, to support property renovation and development work. Currently the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund are funding their “Hands On” training project.  The housing management service is funded through rental income and they have been in receipt of Supporting People funding from Leeds City Council for a number of years.

Contact:

James Hartley Latch Co-ordinator.
James@latch.org.uk
Tel: 0113 237 4482
www.latch.org.uk
www.handson.latch.org.uk