Agenda item

Officer: Shifa Mustafa

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED: to

1.    Approve the pledge to support community led housing as set out in the report under 2.5; and

2.    Approve the strategic approach to delivery of community led affordable housing commencing with a set of pilot sites as set out in the report.

The Leader thanked guests from Croydon Citizens for attending the meeting for the item. The Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services informed Members that Community Led Housing was seen as part of the jigsaw of ensuring affordable housing provision was delivered across the borough. The council would facilitate ensuring land was available and would ensure there was an equal and fair voice for all those who were interested in developing these projects. It was further noted by the Cabinet Member that the Mayor had launched a £38million fund to facilitate community led housing, and it was hoped projects in Croydon would utilise this fund.

Members were shown examples of Community Led Housing; including co-housing which reduced loneliness and created a community, resident-led regeneration which empowered residents, and developer enabled regeneration. The proposals within the paper were for developer enabled housing with Brick by Brick supporting the proposals through the social responsibility commitment.

Mother Joyce Forbes addressed Cabinet stating Croydon Citizens was an alliance which represented local residents and had campaigned for community led housing in the borough for the last four years. While Mother Joyce was able to buy her first home at the age of 23, she noted many residents were no longer able to afford their own homes unless they moved out of their community. The housing crises, it was stated, was breaking up families. Roos Stewart went on to say that at current housing prices, he and his partner were priced out of Croydon. 

It was the intention of Croydon Citizens to develop community led housing in the borough which would deliver truly affordable homes. It was noted that sites across London showed that the model of community led housing was achievable and built rooted communities.

Mother Joyce urged Cabinet to be as ambitious as possible and requested that all sites were 100% affordable. Croydon Citizens stated they looked forward to seeing the five proposed sites become a reality and thanked the council for its commitment to assisting community led housing.

Members noted that in addition to community led housing, there had been a commitment by Crystal Palace Football Club to host temporary overnight accommodation for homeless people during freezing temperatures. Crystal Palace and all those involved in the council were thanked for their hard work in ensuring this took place. The Cabinet Member further noted Croydon Churches also provided shelter and thanked them for their continued support and hard work.

Members supported the proposals of community led housing and were encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by Croydon Citizens. In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member stated the identified sites were those which Brick by Brick had already assessed and it was stated they would be excellent partners in supporting the projects through the social responsibility requirements. The Cabinet Member further stated however, if there were any developers in the borough who had sites and were interested in community led housing then it was felt there would be interested groups who could develop the sites.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member stated that it would be an aspiration for the housing to be 100% affordable. It was noted that there were enthusiastic groups who understood the size of the project, and the council would seek to put everything in place to enable them to realise their ambitions.

Members noted that the Church was an ancient landowner across the country and the Cabinet Member stated that she saw no reason why the council would not be able to work with the Church to support the delivery of community led housing, if the Church was interested.

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED: to

1.    Approve the pledge to support community led housing as set out in the report under 2.5; and

2.    Approve the strategic approach to delivery of community led affordable housing commencing with a set of pilot sites as set out in the report.