DALES communities are being offered help in developing plans for affordable homes through a programme being set up by the Clapham based charity The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT).

It says the Dales Community Housing Project will help groups get established, provide advice and guidance, and assist with raising finance.

The region has a high percentage of second-homes and holiday lets, while average house prices are well above average incomes, making it very difficult for younger people to stay in the area, or for older people to down-size to smaller properties.

Increasingly, community-led housing is being seen as part of the solution to this problem.Groups will be put in touch with other parties that are already involved in community-led housing projects, to learn from their experiences.

Tracy Walker, a YDMT Trustee, and chairman of the the project’s steering group, said:“For the past 20 years or so, much of our work has been about supporting Dales communities: assisting community-owned village shops, refurbishing village halls and other valued community resources, helping communities to become more resilient through capacity building and skills training, and providing countryside apprenticeships for young people.

“We’re very pleased to develop our role in supporting rural communities by getting involved in one of the most pressing rural issues – the lack of affordable housing. We will ensure that local people are at the centre of the decision-making process and build community consent and support, hopefully leading to the creation of genuinely affordable homes and stronger communities.”

The project is being part-funded by Craven District Council’s Kick Start fund. The council’s director of services, Paul Ellis, said: “We’re delighted that YDMT is helping us to deliver community-led housing projects across Craven. We have already given funding to a number of community groups across the district and we are looking forward to the Trust driving these schemes forward so that they can provide much needed affordable housing.

“We have a grant from the Community Housing Fund which we can use to help communities establish themselves as trusts, and for items such as feasibility studies, housing needs studies, legal advice, professional fees, land acquisition and development costs.”

Any community groups who would like to apply for funding can contact the council by emailing eshepherd@cravendc.gov.uk or calling 01756 706286.

The charity is working in partnership with Locality, a national network supporting community organisations.

To find out more about the Dales Community Housing Project, contact Sophie Michelena on Sophie.Michelena@locality.org.uk or 07515 576369.