Wickham Community Land Trust
About us
Summary
We are:
- an Affordable Housing Project
- dedicated to providing affordable housing in Wickham
- providing housing for local people and key workers who cannot afford local high prices but do not qualify for rented social housing
- providing housing forever, under the control of the community, for the community.
The page below explains what a Community Land Trust is and why Wickham Community Land Trust has been formed.
What is a Community Land Trust, or CLT?
A CLT is a non-profit, community-based organisation that owns land and property for public benefit. Land is taken out of the market and is only leased or rented, never sold, so that the land value is captured for all time for the benefit of the community.
Benefits from having a Community Land Trust
- A CLT captures the enduring value of land.
- The CLT land will not become a windfall to anyone.
- A CLT steps into the gap between social housing and the open market to provide intermediate housing (see below).
- A CLT can bring in land which the owner would not normally have considered building on.
- A CLT can help the village retain its life-blood and prevent it becoming and staying old as young families are priced out.
- Homeowners can build equity as a step towards buying a home.
- A CLT can provide housing matched to ability to pay which helps boost local economy.
- A CLT can provide affordable part equity and rented homes for people living or working locally.
- A CLT is run by the community for the community.
WCLT's objectives
Wickham Community Land Trust (WCLT) was established in June 2008
as a Company Limited by Guarantee
with charitable aims to acquire and hold, develop and lease land and property for the benefit of the community
for purposes of community regeneration and renewal. Since March 2010, WCLT has been a registered charity.
In August 2013, we acquired our first 8 homes.
You can see our accounts and annual report at Companies House.
Our aims are to:
- relieve financial hardship by providing homes in the intermediate housing sector (see below)
- increase housing stock of affordable homes
- reduce the number of families living in unsuitable or inadequate situations
- reduce overcrowding for families where the young adults live with their parents because they cannot find any affordable alternative
- help to remove unnecessary commuting for local workers
- make available accommodation to key workers serving the local area
- reduce local barriers to housing
- retain assets for public benefit in perpetuity.
How the Trust is run
There is a board of trustees drawn from the area the CLT serves. Some trusteeships will reside with a post holder, e.g. a nominee from the Parish Council, so that succession and local accountability is ensured.
The first objective that WCLT is tackling is Affordable Homes
The 2004 Wickham Parish Plan for Action found that there
were 50 households in need of
alternative accommodation. A subsequent Housing Survey (2007) confirmed
this need. Another survey in December 2008, which asked questions about
intermediate housing through a Community Land Trust
re-affirmed the earlier findings.
What is intermediate housing?
Intermediate housing is generally available at 20% less than the usual market rents or prices.
A CLT steps into the gap between social housing and the open market to provide intermediate housing.
CLT Homes are permanently affordable
Wickham CLT will always retain the freehold and will lease land to families, individuals,
housing associations and co-operatives for developing affordable homes,
without ever passing the land value on
to the leaseholder. When leaseholders sell their
home they will share with WCLT any increase or decrease in the property's value.
The home will remain in the ownership of WCLT who can then make it available again as affordable housing for subsequent generations.
The Allocation of Houses
We work with Wickham Parish Council and Winchester City Council to make sure that all involved in approving a planning application are agreed on the fairness of our allocation system for homes. No individual or group has preferential treatment. The system is transparent, is not dictated by, and does not favour, any affiliation.
WCLT is registered with The Information Commissioner's Office and The Housing Ombudsman.
Design
Wickham CLT continually examines various sustainable building methods and we will ensure that any development of ours is as aesthetically sympathetic as possible to the Wickham environment.