EMCLH offers a range of services to local communities and groups, landowners, local authorities and other organisations that want to support the development of community-led housing.
We will work with groups and their partners anywhere in the East Midlands and nearby counties that have vision, drive and ambition to develop community-led homes.
Commissioning EMCLH To Work With CLH Projects
Whilst EMCLH has obtained previous core grants from the Nationwide Foundation and from the Community Housing Fund, we are very aware that our long-term viability is securing fees earned in the undertaking of CLH-related commissions and from engagements by local projects.
Our services are structured to follow the ‘Project Pipeline’ framework that has been developed by the national network of community-led housing organisations “Community Led Homes” [see :
Homepage | Community Led Homes
].
This framework has promoted a focus on the supportive work and services that can assist community-led projects, whatever their individual aspirations, to establish new projects as one or other of the recognised CLH ‘models – Community Land Trusts, Cohousing neighbourhoods, housing co-operatives, ‘self-help’ property renovations, or even self-build initiatives.
[See ‘ Summary of CLH Models’].
Services To Support The ‘CLH Pipeline’
The ‘Project Pipeline’ framework envisages that all kinds of CLH projects can be assisted at the following key stages of their potential development :
We are happy to hold an initial couple of meetings with potential new projects on a cost-free basis in order to determine what services such projects may require.
We will then usually provide a proposal for the cost of using us based on a number of days, or on the basis of a longer-term engagement that would relate to the size and complexity of the project.
Our current rates (2023-24) are £500 / day (or £250 half-day).
Overview of EMCLH services
We are a one-stop shop for comprehensive advice and information on all forms of community-led housing and can provide a range of services and a trusted pair of hands to help you deliver good quality homes of high environmental standards that meet the needs of your community both now and into the future.
These could include new homes or the conversion or refurbishment of an existing building.
Working with communities we can help build community-wide support for schemes, encouraging local people to become involved and reducing time and costs from opposition to development, ensuring the new homes meet the needs of local people.
We can access good practice and shared learning through our membership of a network of other organisations supporting community-led housing across the UK.
Group stage – Consolidation of the CLH group and its vision
We will work with you to establish and develop a vision for the type of housing and local neighbourhood provision that you want to create. This can include:
Site stage – Finding a feasible site or property
We can help you access finding a suitable site or existing property for conversion that can meet the needs of the local people that you are seeking to house. As an independent not-for-profit organisation we can act as an honest broker if required and can provide a range of services including:
Plan stage – Scheme designs and approvals, finances and partners
We can assist you to navigate the planning process with the local authority in your area, introduce you to trusted partners and specialists for the design and construction of your project, point you in the direction of funding sources and generally help your understanding of the formal routes to project delivery. Our services can include:
Build stage – On-site construction works
We can provide you with services to oversee the engagement of building contractors and the completion of an on-site construction programme:
Live stage – Taking up occupation, future governance and policies
We can provide you with the right support to ensure that your new homes will be well managed and maintained and continued to be available for local people :