The affordability of Community-led Housing

Project Director: Tom Archer
Project Duration: 2022-2023

Community-led housing has witnessed a resurgence in the UK. This is, in part, due to the failure of other forms of housing provision to meet local needs. Whilst it is often assumed that community-led homes will be affordable on local incomes, this assumption has never been tested. What evidence does exist has been built from small-scale case study research.

The Nationwide Foundation commissioned CRESR to undertake a detailed analysis of affordability in this sector. Collecting data on a large sample of community-led homes, our research reveals that these are - in general terms – genuinely affordable, and that this holds irrespective of housing tenure. Our work reveals the key factors that drive the levels of affordability achieved, and what is required to maintain these.