Enabling affordable housing

WERN is pleased to be able to support rural communities with identifying and securing affordable housing, thanks to funding from Defra

In towns and villages across the West of England, too many local people are being priced out of the communities they grew up in. A lack of affordable, suitable housing means families are being forced to move away, while new developments are often designed to maximise profits rather than meet local needs. 

Our rural housing enabler service is about helping communities to shape their own future. We are able to work with town and parish councils to take a more proactive role in determining where new homes go, what they look like, how many are built, and who they are for. Advice and hands-on support includes: 

Understanding delivery models for affordable housing, including community-led and housing association-led schemes 

• Commissioning Housing Needs Surveys to gather robust, community-specific data 

• Setting up Community Land Trusts to ensure homes remain locally owned and protected from the Right to Buy 

• Identifying suitable sites and liaising with landowners 

• Finding the right development partners who will work with communities, not just in them 

• Navigating financial, legal, and planning challenges 

For more information, please contact our Rural Housing Enabler, Alison Ward: 

alison.ward@middlemarchclh.co.uk

or call  07779 302557