BBC Sunday Politics West
Politicians on the BBC Sunday Politics West show on the 1st July 2018 will be discussing self build and how it can help to address housing need. We endeavoured to raise the profile of community led housing and how the community aspect of self build is a crucial component for empowered and sustainable neighbourhoods. The three beneficial pillars we see from good community led housing are:
Connectivity: Residents designing and building their future homes creates strong connectivity between those people before they move in. This connectivity provides the foundations for early growth of the community.
Empowerment: Those involved in designing and building (or part building) their home and community have a greater sense of ownership of their home and area they live. They also obtain a sense of achievement and often new skills. There are many benefits to this from increased well being, to increase in confidence.
Affordability: A community focus on housing delivery creates a subtle shift in overall objective compared to conventional housing delivery. Factors such as affordability, ecological sustainability, creative design and social cohesion are often of high priority, resulting in developments which are increasingly appropriate to sustain the people who are part of them.