The Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) project will play a critical role in raising awareness of the lack of affordable housing for local people in rural parts of Wiltshire and encouraging and supporting communities to welcome and help make provision for new homes. The RHE will gather information to understand the need for affordable housing within rural communities and help empower communities so that they can explore a range of options.
The RHE will explore all options to bring forward projects that have the support of the local community. These will encompass, but not be limited to, conventional local authority and housing association new build or conversions; Section 106 or similar planning related affordable homes schemes; and schemes that combine both affordable homes for rent and shared or low-cost ownership. To achieve this the RHE will be willing to work with the two local authorities, housing associations and other not for profit providers in the area and private sector builders and developers.
The RHE will provide a great opportunity to connect with all parishes in rural Wiltshire, to begin ascertaining both the extent and type of affordable housing needs in the county and engage with those communities able and willing to do something about it. That `something` might include obtaining evidence of need, identifying possible sites (in particular `exception` sites) and in some cases establishing some form of community-led housing vehicle, such as a community land trust.
Crucially, the RHE will also be able to ascertain the existing and potential delivery agents for affordable housing, including Wiltshire Council, developers willing to provide a proportion of affordable housing in their proposals, and housing associations able to keen to work with rural communities. Accordingly, the RHE will be able to begin painting the whole picture of affordable housing needs within the county, help those villages keen to do something about it, and identify the potential ways of meeting those needs.
As well as establishing housing need another important ingredient in bringing forward more affordable housing for local people is the identification of suitable sites within or on the edge of the villages where these much-needed homes can be built. Part of the role of the RHE will be to liaise with landowners, CLTs, Parish Councils and Neighbourhood Plan groups to seek out such sites that might be brought forward.
For more information, please contact: info@wiltshirecommunityledhousing.org.uk.