Housing for People, Not for Profit: Models of Community-Led Housing

Abstract

Grassroots-led models of housing delivery are experiencing growth in many countries as alternatives to mainstream, top-down housing models. These encompass a diverse assemblage of housing types, delivery methods, social relationships and organisational structures, whose common feature is involvement of residents and/or other local stakeholders in the design, delivery, ownership and management of homes. This article sets out to capture the essential characteristics of “ community housing ” across the devolved jurisdictions of the UK Since there is no single de fi nition of “ community housing, ” I start off by attempting to de fi ne what the term might mean, before looking at factors which have historically both contributed to and inhibited the development and survival of community housing in different communities in UK. This allows me to consider how those factors might play out in future before offering some conclusions on what might be needed for community housing to be able to expand in a North American context.