CLTN calls for £100m CMA windfall to back community-led housing

Home K Funding K CLTN calls for £100m CMA windfall to back community-led housing

Feature image: Westbourne CLT (Credit: Chichester District Council)

CLTN has launched a member campaign calling for a potential £100 million settlement to be reinvested in grassroots housing delivery.

Community land trusts across England and Wales are being urged to lobby their parliamentarians to support reinvestment of a potential £100 million windfall from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into community-led housing.

The CMA recently found evidence of anti-competitive practices by seven of the UK’s biggest housebuilders and is considering a settlement of £100m. The Community Land Trust Network has responded to the now-closed consultation and is calling for that money to be used to back community-led housing projects, bringing much-needed diversity to the housing market and unlocking thousands of genuinely affordable homes.

For CLTs in England, this means writing to their MP and asking them to press the Housing Minister to allocate the funding to community-led housing. For Welsh CLTs, the ask is to contact the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government with the same request.

 

This funding could be a game-changer for CLTs like ours. Finding the money to fund the early stages of a project is tough, making it all the more harder to get projects off the ground. This kind of support, which has already been endorsed by our MP, would make such a difference.

Richard Harper

Clevedon CLT

While the potential windfall would be a drop in the ocean of the £39bn Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), it could be transformative for the community-led sector and bridge the gap between early-stage development and access to mainstream funding programmes like AHP.

 

We know the Housing Minister supports community-led housing and wants to see greater diversity in housebuilding. This windfall is an opportunity to act on that ambition and enable hundreds of community builders.

Tom Chance

CEO, Community Land Trust Network

In Wales, the government has already committed to supporting community-led housing through its Programme for Government. This has translated into support for Cwmpas and recognition of CLH in national planning policy. Cwmpas has now proposed a revolving loan fund to help CLTs progress their plans and deliver on the sector’s potential.

 

The Welsh government has recognised the value of community-led housing, including CLTs, but one of the missing pieces is finance. A share of the CMA settlement could plug that gap, allowing us to bring forward homes that communities across Wales desperately need.

Casey Edwards

Community Led Housing Project Manager, Cwmpas

CLTs across England and Wales are filling critical gaps in rural and regeneration markets. They bring forward homes that would otherwise not be built, homes that remain affordable forever and are rooted in long-term community benefit. But most are held back by a lack of early-stage funding.

When the Community Housing Fund briefly reopened in 2021/22, demand far outstripped supply: £4m of funding supported 52 projects and over 1,200 homes, but was oversubscribed by 70% within weeks.

 

CLTs often work in partnership with housing associations and local authorities – they build trust, bring community knowledge to the table and unlock difficult sites. But none of that happens unless communities can be capitalised to bring forward oven-ready projects.

Tom Chance continues

Template lobbying materials have been created for CLT members. If you would like more information or support to take part in the campaign, please email a member of the CLTN team – [email protected]