Glimmer of hope in budget of doom!

Glimmer of hope in budget of doom! Amidst all the bad things, the u-turns and what could be regarded as a comedy farce since the budget, there is a little glimmer of hope. This is for housing for local people.

Some will know that I have been involved with the Community Land Trust movement almost since it arrived in Cornwall in 2007. One of the issues for Land Trusts, particularly small ones, is becoming financially viable. Their role of building community led housing is welcomed in communities but housing development is a financially risky business that volunteers need professional help to navigate and they cost money.

Well in the depths of Osborne’s budget was a measure to increase stamp duty on people buying 2nd homes rather than a home to live in. Some of the money he predicts this will raise is ear marked for community led housing and he did say, including to go to Community Land Trusts. This was an interesting announcement because whilst there has been much lobbying over the poorly thought out housing bill and the issues of 2nd homes making it difficult for locals to get on the housing ladder, the Government had not had any communication with the Community Land Trust sector Nationally on how this might work, which makes me a little suspicious of the implementation detail.

I know that Andrew George, Director of Cornwall Community Land Trust, plans to have discussions Nationally now to flesh out those details so it will be watch this space. Hopefully it might put funding in place to help locals drive housing according to need rather than developer greed.

More posts on housing can be found  Housing Need or Lining Developers Pockets or Facts about Housing in Cornwall and Cornwall Community Land Trust