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Community Engagement

Meeting the legal definition of a CLT in order to meet local housing needs also means committing to the definition's requirement for democratic control, which means operating in the interests of the wider local community rather than solely for your members (see Overview and Visioning). As such harnessing the support of the community and engaging them in your process as early as possible is imperative. Not only will this help garner useful support for your scheme, contributing to the avoidance of strong local opposition, but it may lead to greater interest amongst the community and help recruit membership or skills to support the CLT. Holding regular public meetings, engaging with the local parish council, and creating a website to keep people updated will help establish and communicate exactly what your CLT’s purpose is and what your plans are.

A useful guide to community engagement can be found in Section 1.2 of To Have and to Hold, a publication by the Development Trusts Association, which details the planning and implementation of community involvement processes in addition to the identification and involving of other relevant stakeholders. You can also find practical ideas about engaging with your local community in the Community Land Trust Practitioner's Guide.

This part of the process will help you decide on the Membership policy and voting rights (see links to existing CLTs’ constitution in Legal Structures).