Community Land Trusts gain national recognition after Turner Prize win for Assemble

London-based architecture collective Assemble raised the profile of Community Land Trusts last night after taking home the prestigious Turner Prize for Granby 4 Streets, a housing redevelopment project in Toxteth, Liverpool.

Granby 4 Streets Community Land Trust formed in 2011 after residents campaigned for years to save their neighbourhood from demolition. The CLT commissioned Assemble with the help of social investors, Steinbeck Studios. Together they have developed 10 empty red-brick terraced houses, and aim to bring four empty shops back to life, as part of the wider redevelopment across the four streets.

Granby 4 Streets CLT are one of 175 Community Land Trusts across England and Wales finding innovative solutions to the UK housing crisis. Community Land Trusts are local organisations set up and run by ordinary people to develop and manage homes as well as other assets important to that community. This enables CLTs to have agency over the design and building process.

There has been a rapid growth in the CLT movement across England and Wales over the past few years. CLTs are challenging rural and urban housing markets, of both economic decline, and of escalating land values. CLTs are most notably forming in challenging urban housing environments, in towns and cities including London, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Bristol, Lewes, St Ives and Hastings. With an uncertain future for affordable housing in the UK, CLTs are providing an alternative narrative.

'Just as the win for Assemble has challenged the art world to redefine Contemporary Art, CLTs redefine what 'affordable' means.

The new Starter Home initiative where 'affordable' homes will be sold at 80% of market value isn't affordable for people or families on low or median incomes, particularly in house price hot spots', said Catherine Harrington, Director of the National CLT Network.

The National CLT Network are hosting the National CLT Conference 2016 on 28th January 2016 at The Abbey Centre, Westminster. More information and tickets can be found at http://bit.ly/clt2016

For more information:

National CLT Network: www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk

Granby 4 Streets CLT: www.granby4streetsclt.co.uk

Assemble: www.assemblestudio.co.uk

For quotes:

Catherine Harrington (Director, NCLTN): catherine@communitylandtrusts.org.uk / 02037641841

Lizzy Daish (Comms Officer, NCLTN): lizzy@communitylandtrusts.org.uk / 02037641841

Ronnie Hughes (Granby 4 Streets): ronnie@asenseofplace.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are powerful examples of communities taking control and transforming the future of their local community. They are non-profit, community-based organisations run by volunteers that develop housing, workspaces, community facilities or other assets that meet the needs of the community, are owned and controlled by the community and are made available at permanently affordable levels.

The National CLT Network is the national body for CLTs and supports and promotes the work of CLTs across England.

ENDS.