Frequently asked questions

CLTs empower communities to come together to solve certain challenges facing them – chiefly a shortage of affordable housing for local people.

With house prices being so high on Deben Peninsula, and with many properties owned by second home owners or rented out as holiday homes, owning a home is a challenge for people working in – or with connections to – the villages of Alderton, Bawdsey, Boyton, Hollesley, Shottisham and Sutton.

Even with a good job and some savings it can take a long time to build up a deposit. This is even more difficult given the high market rents on the Peninsula.

CLTs aim to tackle some of the barriers to home ownership, looking at the issue of affordability and bringing the community together to tackle the issues for the greater benefit of those who live and work in the area.

We aim to develop housing and community facilities for the benefit of the community. CLT homes are protected by an asset lock, so will be owned by the CLT in perpetuity for the benefit of the community.

It is up to the members of each CLT to determine what community a trust will seek to serve. Usually this means people that live and work or want to live and work within a defined geographical area.

For us, this is people working in – or with connections to – the villages of Alderton, Bawdsey, Boyton, Hollesley, Shottisham and Sutton.

There are loads! Usually, the stimulus is a desire to create affordable homes that are available to local people who cannot afford housing on the open market. CLTs:

• are locally driven, controlled and democratically accountable;
• are able to meet local housing need even in areas with very high house prices;
• are able to provide housing that is permanently affordable;
• can give the community an asset for the future;
• genuinely empower local communities – people that live and work, or want to live and work within a defined geographical area.

The CLT’s legal ‘asset lock’ is a restrictive covenant ensuring that assets can only be sold or developed in a manner that benefits the local community.

The money realised from any sales is protected and must be re-invested into something that the CLT thinks will benefit the local community.

CLT rented accommodation is exempt from Right to Buy and owner occupiers of affordable ownership properties are legally obliged to comply with strict guidelines if they decide to sell.

None of this can happen unless we get land!

To create affordability a CLT needs to receive initial subsidy in one form or another. This might be free land, or financial grants from government, charities or benefactors.

This allows the properties to stay “affordable” for the people who live in them.

The land is protected by a legal ‘asset lock’ which dictates that CLT assets can only be sold or developed in a manner which benefits the local community.

This asset lock means that CLTs hold their assets in perpetuity.

But, as Woody Allen once said: “Perpetuity is a long time, especially when you get near to the end.”

With this in mind, if a home is sold in future, the cash realised is protected and can be re-invested into something else that the trustees think will benefit the local community.

Absolutely not. CLTs set out to address local housing needs, whatever that need may be.

It might be a family seeking to buy a share in their home, or an elderly person seeking to downsize, freeing up a larger family home in the process.

This means they can have other ambitions than to just provide affordable homes for rent.

Some CLTs also provide opportunities for self-builders, mutual homes ownership and co-housing schemes.

Land can be acquired in a number of ways:

• Purchase of land on the open market at or below development market value
• Rural exception site at a little more than agricultural value
• Free or cheap land from a local, town or parish council
• Local charities and trusts surplus land
• Landowners prepared to dispose of a small area of land for local benefit
• Land / buildings provided by a developer as part of their planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)

Once land is acquired, the CLT then oversees the development of affordable housing to rent or buy and when the homes are complete the CLT remains a steward.

However, getting land for development opportunities is always a problem. That is why we are appealing to any landowners to start a conversation with us.

When a CLT acquires a parcel of land, there may already be a single-family house or a multiunit building on the land.

In other cases, CLTs become active developers, constructing new housing.

CLTs may also make land available to another non-profit organisation or a community development corporation for the construction of affordable housing.

CLTs become the long term steward for occupancy, eligibility, and affordability controls imposed by local governments on housing built by for-profit developers.

CLTs have a membership that is open to all who live or work in the defined community and the members elect a volunteer board of trustees to run the trust on their behalf on a day-to-day basis.

We are always on the lookout for new members and new trustees. To find out more about the current team visit our Team page and, if you’re thinking of becoming a member, you can find out more here 

Like other non-profit organisations, CLTs rely on grant funding to cover their start-up and operating costs during their early years.

Trustees are volunteers and membership includes a nominal fee.

We’ve provided full guidance on our Need a home? page

Homes can be provided to meet a range of needs and schemes can provide a range of housing for rent and part ownership driven by local housing needs.

Some CLTs focus only on detached, single family houses. Others are engaged in the construction and stewardship of multi-unit residential projects that are structured as townhouses, condominiums, limited equity cooperatives, or non-profit rental housing.

While CLTs are currently the fastest growing form of community led housing, there are a number of other forms – which stand alone or can be delivered through a CLT.

These include:

• Cohousing

These are intentional communities, created and run by their residents. Each household has a self-contained, private home as well as shared community space. Residents come together to manage their community, share activities, and regularly eat together.

• Cooperative housing

This is a co-operative and mutual housing scheme with a community membership where those who live in homes developed are required or are encouraged to become members – in some cases – alongside other local community members. That community membership is able to control the housing democratically through general meetings of the organisation.

• Self-build

These are projects where someone directly organises the design and construction of their new home.

The most obvious example is a traditional ‘DIY self-build’ home, where the self-builder selects the design, they want and then does much of the actual construction work themselves. But many community-led projects are defined as self builds too – as the members of the community often do all the organising and often quite a bit of the construction work.

We are always looking for people who want to get involved, either as a member or as a trustee. We also link to local authorities, parish councils, developers, housing associations, contractors, architects and community groups. They can be viewed here.

We really need people with experience in finance, legal, housing, development and business. But we also want to hear from people who have a keen interest in the area and are community-minded. If that is you, please contact us.

Everyone over the age of 18 who lives and/or works on the Deben Peninsula is eligible to be a member.

Members get a say in how the CLT develops the community and what its priorities are.

Being a member doesn’t have any time commitments. You can get as involved as much or as little as you want.

Membership requires just a £1 fee. To find out more on how to join see our membership page.

Yes! You can be a member whether or not you are interested in a CLT home yourself. Membership costs just £1.

We have a full Data Protection policy

Data protection Trustees will, at all times, ensure the highest standard of data protection as specified in this policy and will take appropriate action as circumstances change.

Declaration of interest At the start of each financial year, trustees must formally declare any personal, financial or other material interest relating to our activities. If an agenda item arises covering any such issue the trustee will inform the meeting and enter the details in the log of trustees’ interests.

Equal opportunities We recognise that everyone has a contribution to make to the organisation and a right to equal treatment. No individual will be discriminated against on any unfair grounds whatsoever.

Finance policy This provides the policies and procedures for financial transactions within the organisation that must be followed by all trustees, contractors and employees.

Grievance policy This ensures that we treat grievances seriously and resolve them as quickly as possible.

Membership This sets out PVCLT’s aims and policy with regard to membership.

Risk management Risk assessment and recording are undertaken routinely on all our activities and all significant risks are reported to the Board on a quarterly basis.

Standing orders These detail how decisions are made and the business is operated, to minimise risk and ensure transparency. They apply to every person involved in the CLT’s business and must be followed at all times; they also inform all PVCLT policies.

Trustee This sets out PVCLT’s aims and policy with regard to trustees.

Trustee code of ethics and professional conduct This outlines the behaviour expected from each trustee.