About
The Housing Challenge
Average house prices in and around Bristol are now in excess of ten times average salaries, meaning that for most, buying their own property is usually out of the question.. In fact, to buy the average two bedroom flat costing around £280,000, you would need a minimum deposit of 5% or £14,000, and an income of approximately £70,000 per year. Renting isn't much better, with the average for a two-bedroom flat costing around £1,225 per month in 2017.
Indeed, Bristol City Council's 2017 housing market survey concludes that:
- Housing demand in the city is still increasing and there continues to be an under-supply of new homes, both for ownership and rent.
- 'Hometrack' data from 2016 shows Bristol at the top of the league table for house price growth in the 20 major cities of the UK.
- There is a significant shortage of affordable housing in the city.
- There is rising homelessness.
- The private rented sector represents a growing proportion of the housing market nationally and locally, but there is a growing disparity between housing benefit rates and actual market rents across the city.
About CLTs
What is a Community Land Trust?
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are a form of community-led housing, set up and run by ordinary people to develop and manage homes as well as other assets important to that community, like community enterprises, food growing or workspaces. CLTs act as long-term stewards of housing, ensuring that it remains genuinely affordable, based on what people actually earn in their area, not just for now but for every future occupier.
Find out more from the NATIONAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST NETWORK
