Scaling Up Community Housing Solutions

A summary of the community-led housing sector in the UK alongside potential mechanisms for scaling up drawing on international case studies from the World Habitat Awards.

Community-led approaches have the potential to make a positive contribution to housing in the UK, but have typically remained small in scale. This publication outlines the community-led housing sector in the UK, including the policy context, and draws lessons from four international case studies of projects that have effectively scaled up community-led solutions.

The publication was the background paper to BSHF’s annual consultation at St George’s House, Windsor Castle in May 2014. The consultation drew together community-led housing experts from both the UK and internationally, along with government representatives and practitioners from the wider housing sector to discuss how community-led housing could play a greater role in the UK.

The background paper provides information about the objectives of the consultation, but also sets the scene for community-led housing in the UK and the lessons that can be learned from community-led projects elsewhere that have significantly increased in scope and impact.