World Habitat invests in communities creating lasting change.
Homes in Leeds
Leeds Community Homes (LCH) is creating permanently affordable housing in Leeds. Founded by World Habitat Award winners Canopy and Lilac, LCH raised £360,000 through a share offer, including a £25,000 investment from World Habitat, to purchase 16 eco-friendly homes. LCH is now developing its next project and working towards becoming a Registered Provider, enabling it to scale its impact and provide more community-led, sustainable homes across the city.
Social impact in Leeds
Our investment in Passivhaus standard homes
£25K
investment in LCH’s share offer
9
rentals at a discounted rate
7
sold at 60% of market value
“Working with World Habitat has been an incredible journey – they truly embody what it means to be an ethical landlord. Without their belief in us and their support, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Deana Bamford, Connector at Coalville CAN
A lasting legacy in Coalville
Although no longer based in Coalville, World Habitat continues to invest in the town’s future. In 2024, we maintained the Peter Elderfield Memorial Wood, a biodiverse green space gifted for community use. We also supported local social enterprise Coalville CAN (CCAN) by continuing to lease our former HQ at a reduced rent. When CCAN launched a share offer to buy the building, World Habitat invested £25,000. The offer succeeded, and in 2025 we transferred full ownership to CCAN—ensuring long-term community benefit.
Our investment
Using our legacy to build community spaces in Coalville
£25k
investment in Coalville CAN
50%
discounted rent on business premises
27
acres of woodland for the community
Future housing from our land
World Habitat holds land near Coalville that was gifted to us in 1976. While much of it is used for agriculture, we’ve reinvested proceeds from land sales to support our work. In 2024, we began exploring plans to transform part of this land into an exemplar housing development.
Our goal is to create environmentally excellent social housing, serving as a model for others in the sector. We’re working with a social housing provider and expert advisors to test the project’s feasibility and ensure that it delivers both local impact and broader learning for the housing movement.
