In 2017, Lancaster City Council was allocated £707,630 of the £60 million funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Community Housing Fund. The funding was awarded to build capacity within local groups, raise awareness of community-led housing and identify local communities that would benefit from community-led housing initiatives and towards pre-development costs. Allocation of the community housing fund has been in line with the Community Housing Fund Grant Policy

It is not an open grant fund which any one can apply for. Grant funding has only been available to:

• Community organisations
• Registered providers
• Other development partners

Grants have been provided to support community-led, non-profit making organisations with ambitions to deliver new home in their communities and to boost affordable housing supply. This includes community land trusts, groups interested in self-build or custom build and community groups interested in delivering affordable housing.

A range of activities and actions have taken place since Lancaster City Council received the government funding in 2017.  This has included:-

• Organising briefings for elected members, parish councils and neighbourhood plan groups.
• Employing a part-time officer to work closely with groups.  
• Providing grants to support potential projects in the Lancaster district.
• Providing funding to create a new Sub-Regional Community Led Enabling Hub with partner Local Authorities in Cumbria (South Lakes, Allerdale, Eden, Copeland and Carlisle). 

The Hub can:

• Provide information about funding to help groups to progress more quickly and have a dedicated website.
• Introduce groups to professionals such as architects, planners and surveyors
• Make useful connections with local planners
• Identify other potential partners such as Registered Providers (also known as Registered Social Landlords or Housing Associations) and developers
• Create learning and networking opportunities for peer-to-peer support with other community led housing groups.

For more information on the Community Led Enabling Hub Cumbria and Lancaster please visit https://clhhub.org.uk/

To date, the council has provided grant funding to three Community Groups seeking to bring community led housing forward in Lancaster district:-

Lune Valley Community Land Trust received a blend of grant funding to support their new development at Mill Lane, Halton, which was delivered in partnership with South Lakes Housing, a not-for-profit Registered Provider.  The scheme provides 20 new affordable homes built to Passivhaus and was completed in 2023.  For more information about the development, please also see Community-Led Homes - Lune Valley Community Land Trust

The city council has also provided grant funding to Senior Co-Housing Group who acquired the adjacent land on Mill Lane Halton to build an extension to the existing Co-Housing Scheme dedicated for people of aged 55 and above, also to Passivhaus standards.  Although the scheme was granted planning permission, because of the sharp increase in construction costs that came about due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the scheme stalled.  However, the Senior Co-Housing Group is now working on a revised scheme and exploring alternatives to achieve low carbon homes and utilising modern methods of construction.  See also Halton Senior Cohousing Project – A Cohousing Group for over 55s in Halton Nr Lancaster.

The third project to receive grant funding is Lapwing Housing Co-Operative which has allowed the group to purchase a 10 bedroom property which is the first affordable housing co-operative in Lancaster district.  The property was purchased in 2024.  For more information, see About us | Lapwing

All grant funding has now been fully committed. 

Housing models

• cohousing.org.uk
• www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk
• www.cch.coop
• www.nacsba.org.uk
• self-help-housing.org

Funding and alternative grants

• www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-england
• www.qht.org.uk
• www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/funding-and-resources/funding
• locality.org.uk/our-work/community-grants