Community led approach to building affordable housing on micro-sites
Problem Addressed
The current housing crisis in the UK requires innovative solutions. According to Shelter England, the council house waiting list is longer than ever before with over 1.2 million households registered. Many of these households remain on the list for over five years due to a lack of supply. Consequently, housing prices are unaffordable with the Housing Affordability in England and Wales: 2022 report stating that full-time employees in England must spend 8.3x their annual earnings to buy a home. Of the homes that are being built, only 2% delivered in England and Wales in the second quarter of 2021 were built to the highest energy efficiency standards.
Case Study
In Knowle West, WeCanMake has already built two community-led, locally made, Living Rent homes one of which is a 2-bedroom single storey home built for a young family. The home was constructed using a BlokBuild OSB timber cassette system and is 100% electric with solar panels and an air source heat pump. Toni, one of the residents, was involved early on in every stage of the planning and design of her home. She was able to assist in the fabrication at WeCanMake’s community micro-factory and worked on site to complete the home.
Facts and Figures
This page presents data, evidence, and solutions that are provided by our partners and members and should therefore not be attributed to UKGBC. While we showcase these solutions for inspiration, to build consensus, and create momentum for climate action, UKGBC does not offer commercial endorsement of individual solutions. If you would like to quote something from this page, or more information, please contact our Communications team at media@ukgbc.org.