Funding for community housing projects
Funding for community housing projects
South Hams District Council has launched a new housing offer for communities in the district. In addition to general support and advice from a team of development officers, it can provide funding to help bring forward more affordable housing. The fund will be administered in the form of grants and can be used to cover costs such as:
- initial start-up
- incorporation
- preliminary design layout
- scheme estimate
There are different stages of funding and support available which groups can apply for. Groups can apply for funding and support under any or all of the stages. These can be combined as a sequential process or applied for separately. The maximum grant available per group is £10,000.
Community support
- Stage 1 - Direct Support Grant
- Stage 2 - Business Development Grant
Funding under these stages will be paid directly into your bank account.
Scheme appraisal and technical support
- Stage 3 - Viability Study
Funding under this stage will be administered on your behalf and will be used for the purposes of procuring consultants to carry out initial design and costing work.
Each application will be assessed on its merits, however as there is limited initial funding and resource available it is recommended to apply at the earliest opportunity.
To direct you to the most appropriate starting point please refer to the descriptions below and follow the link to the corresponding information and application form.
How does it work?
The first step is to complete a registration form. You will need to provide some basic details such as:
- a primary and secondary contact;
- proof of ID; and
- your bank account details including a recent bank statement if intending to apply for funding in Stage 1 and/or Stage 2.
You will then be issued with a unique reference number which should be used in each application and correspondence.
Once your registration has been approved and you have been sent your community group reference number, next is to decide which funding stream or support you would like to apply for.
To help with this we’ve outlined a number of scenarios below.
What is your situation?
A group of individuals Interested in exploring the possibility of forming a community organisation and need some advice and guidance.
A group that has already undertaken research into setting up a community housing organisation and are ready to take the next step in creating a formal entity.
An organised group or individual(s) who has identified a site with a landowner willing to donate or sell land at a price consistent with affordable housing; or a landowner who wishes to donate or sell land for the purpose of a community housing scheme.
If you are unsure what category you fit under you can contact our team.
Stage 1 – Direct Support Grant (up to £1,000)
The Direct Support Grant is available for groups that are exploring the possibility of starting a Community Housing organisation. It can be put towards a variety of costs including:
- membership to a recognised community housing support organisation
- public consultation
- publicity leaflets
- local media advertisements
- incidental expenses
Stage 2 - Business Development Grant (up to £4,000)
The Business Development Grant is available to groups that have assessed the need for a formal community organisation and have found it to be viable. This grant is used to assist Community Housing Groups to understand the:
- process of becoming an incorporated organisation
- responsibilities upon them
It is often during this period that organisations need guidance and support to deal with the many issues that arise. Without this early support, groups can dwindle and fall away. This is time intensive work and requires a consistent, experienced and professional approach. The grant can be used to pay for items such as:
- choosing a suitable legal form
- training
- creating a vision and project plan
- working with the wider community
- specialist advice from an approved consultant
- identifying land
Stage 3 – Viability Study (value up to £5,000)
Once a site has been identified we can support a community group in undertaking preliminary due diligence to determine if it is viable. This could include:
- Establishing local housing need and assisting with formulating a scheme mix
- Commissioning initial design work to produce site massing plans and costings through the Council’s procurement network
- Producing an outline business case to support further funding in developing the scheme
It is not a pre-requisite to have formed an incorporated community organisation to receive funding under this stage and a standalone application can be made by any group or individual(s).
What happens next?
On completion of Stage 3 we will confirm that schemes are viable and in an area of demonstrated housing need.
Where schemes are confirmed as viable, subject to approval and securing additional funding, further detailed design and survey work will be carried out with community involvement to produce an 'options and feasibility study' with pre-application planning advice.
This will form the basis of negotiations to secure a delivery partner who will build out the scheme.