How we can help you

Communities across North Yorkshire and East Riding can access local and  national one to one specialist support for all stages of a community led housing project, from community engagement right through to build and live stage.

This enables communities to make an informed choice around all forms of community led housing and deliver the scheme that best meets the needs of their community.

What support can I expect from Community Led Homes, North Yorkshire & East Riding?

Initial contact

When you first get in touch, one of our advisors will have an informal chat, answer any initial questions, and talk through any ideas you already have. You may then be asked to complete a ‘health check’ questionnaire so we can gather any information about your group and help you make informed decisions about the next key steps. We will then signpost you on to one of our relevant technical advisors  for appropriate support such as financial or legal advice. It might be that we can help you financially with this next step

Throughout the process

Our aim throughout the process is for your group to have one named advisor at the hub, who can guide you. They will be able  to attend group meetings where necessary to support you and also facilitate connections with other professionals as required. This might be with architects, planning departments or legal professionals. We will be on hand to take you from the setting up your group stage of the process right through to the develop and build stage, working closely with your group throughout the process, or on a consultancy basis for specific areas where you need extra support.

What additional support does the hub offer?

Workshops

Alongside our support service, the hub organises regular workshops. Currently run on Zoom, these free-to-attend workshops take the form of an informative presentation from one of our advisors, followed by an inspirational presentation from someone with lived experience of developing a community led housing project.

Awareness raising

As ambassadors for community led housing in the region, we are continuously looking for opportunities to collaborate with other partners and groups. This could be engaging with a local authority over a local plan consultation, delivering roadshows to raise awareness or speaking at parish council meetings. We attend regular partnership meetings, liaising closely with colleagues at Community First Yorkshire, to continuously seek out opportunities and connections at local levels.

Resources

We have developed a list of ‘essential reading’ and other resources related to community led housing, including specially commissioned podcasts, where you can discover more and get inspired for your own project. You can find these here.

Take a look at our project leaflet to see how we can help you.