We're committed to enabling the delivery of ‘community-led’ affordable housing projects which empower communities of all shapes and sizes to commission their own homes to meet local needs. We recognise that this is an ambition for some communities, and have responded with an initiative to help parish councils to secure delivery of the homes that local people want and need in order to make their places more sustainable and resilient.

Community-led affordable housing has many models of delivery, from general stewardship and oversight of dwellings financed and owned by a housing association or land trust, through to actual tenancy management and outright ownership of the asset.

Regardless of the model adopted, it's important that the community is genuinely engaged with the project, and over time can develop the capacity necessary to actively guide delivery matters such as:

• Site assembly
• Timescales
• Funding
• Design
• Tenures
• Planning
• Local lettings policies
• Local standards for estate maintenance and management