Lewisham’s Bold Step for Community-Led Housing – Now Let’s Make It Happen
Well done to Lewisham Council for its bold new approach to community-led housing and for recognising the vital role that community-led, not-for-profit housing developers can play in tackling the housing crisis.
It is encouraging to see this commitment to unlocking public land for community benefit and working with communities to turn ambition into action.
The urgent need for genuinely affordable homes
The need for genuinely affordable housing has never been more urgent.
Families in temporary accommodation face uncertainty that affects their mental health and wellbeing, while councils spend millions managing the consequences.
Key workers are being priced out of the communities they serve, and young adults in their 20s and 30s, including those earning £40,000 a year, cannot afford to live independently.
These are people who contribute to our communities but struggle to build their futures within them.
We must rethink our relationship with land and housing. Communities deserve a meaningful voice in shaping where they live.
We must ask: Who owns the land? Who benefits from its development? And how can communities gain greater control over housing and local spaces?
Unlocking land and rethinking funding
For too long, community-led developers have been told land is unavailable, offered sites that private developers reject, or promised land that never materialises.
Difficult sites are often offered without the collaboration needed to resolve challenges. Projects stall, money is spent, years are lost, and communities invest time and hope with little to show for it.
This is neither joined-up thinking nor a responsible use of public resources.
We must also rethink funding.
Community funding has been cut back, while greater emphasis has been placed on Registered Providers and shared ownership. These models work for some, but not everyone.
Where is the creativity and imagination needed to support diverse housing models that reflect the realities of the communities we serve?
Building at scale – but for whom?
Yes, we need to build at scale, but scale alone is not enough.
We must ask who the homes are for and whether people can genuinely afford them.
Despite land being made available to private developers for years, the affordability crisis continues. We may need hundreds of thousands of additional social rent homes, but the scale of the challenge must never become an excuse for inaction.
One thousand social rent homes are better than none.
One thousand genuinely affordable homes for key workers, linked to local incomes, are better than none.
And one thousand affordable homes for young adults who cannot afford to live independently are better than none.
Turning ambition into action
Lewisham has a proud history of pioneering community development.
Bringing together community builders, housing organisations and partners, each contributing their strengths to a shared strategy, could be the beginning of something truly transformative.
I, for one, am delighted and excited by Lewisham’s ambition.
Let’s get it done!
