The Carnegie Trust
Carnegie Trust announces New Programme to Support Affordable Home Projects in Somerset and Dorset
A partnership has been formed to offer business support for community organisations trying to build affordable homes in Somerset and Dorset. The Carnegie Trust is setting up a £130,000 pilot project in the two counties to research and support community-owned housing.
The Carnegie Trust says its £130,000 scheme will look at key factors in the success of community land. The two year-long pilot initiative for community land trusts (CLTs) in rural towns and villages across Somerset and Dorset will build relationships between local partners and identify communities that have housing need and the capacity to develop a CLT.
The programme is backed by money from the Communities and Local Government department and will help develop community land trusts - housing that is owned by the community and run for the benefit of local people.
The project will be delivered by Resonance and Wessex Community Assets, two organisations that provide investment support to not-for-profit organisations.
"Four or five communities in Cornwall have had some success in developing community land trusts," said Daniel Brewer, director of Resonance. "We're hoping to work with groups in Somerset and Dorset to look at the key factors that allow land trusts to work.
"We're also testing to see whether we can develop a sustainable support model. We're hoping that the help and advice we give will lead to enough fees to sustain the programme past the initial two years we have funding for."
For further information, go to: http://rural.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/news_and_events/new_boost
_for_rural_homes_initiatives
last updated on 8th May 2010