Community initiatives, grants and funding

Community led housing programme

This programme allows eligible third-sector organisations to bid for vacant council-owned land and property in order to deliver community led housing developments in Liverpool.

What is community led housing (CLH)?

Community led housing is when a community group or organisation owns or manages homes with the consent of the local community.

There must be:

  • meaningful community engagement and consent throughout the development process. Communities do not necessarily have to initiate the scheme or build homes themselves, but must be involved in the decision-making process.
  • commitment to a long-term role to own, manage or steward the homes, supported by a business case. This may be delivered in partnership with registered providers who may own the freehold or leasehold of the land or property.
  • clearly defined social value benefits to the local area and community, legally protected in perpetuity - such as those set out in the council's Social Value Policy.

What are the aims of the programme?

The transfer of land or buildings from council ownership is designed to encourage the growth of community led housing throughout the city region and help:

  • deliver affordable housing
  • increase housing supply, choice, quality and support
  • help our ageing population
  • regenerate neighbourhoods
  • improve the quality of renting
  • tackle homelessness

What organisations can apply?

The third sector organisations eligible for the community-led housing programme include:

  • a company limited by guarantee registered as a charity with the Charity Commission
  • a charitable incorporated association
  • a community interest company limited by guarantee without shares whose articles of association comply with Schedule 1 from the CIC (Community Interest Company) Regulations 2005
  • a community interest company limited by guarantee with a share capital, or company limited by shares that only pay dividends to asset-locked bodies, whose articles of association comply with Schedule 2 from the CIC Regulations 2005
  • an industrial and provident society registered before 2014
  • a community benefits society registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014

How to apply

There is a three-stage process for community-led housing asset disposal with several steps in between.

Stage 1- submit expression of interest 
Stage 2 - draft business planning and feasibility
Stage 3 - get planning consent and delivery

Stage 1- submit an expression of interest 

Land and buildings will be advertised in lots on our Property Asset management website:

Phase 1 land

Phase 1 property

Organisations that meet the eligibility criteria can express an interest in one or more of the lots in the first phase.

We welcome expressions of interest at any time – but if the asset you are interested in is not in our first phase, we cannot guarantee that it will be made available.

We also recommend you read the following documents in full before you submit your expression of interest:

If you are confident you meet the eligibility criteria, you can submit an expression of interest online below. 

The closing date for applications was 12pm on Friday 19th May 2023 - we are no longer accepting applications for this programme.

What happens next?

If successful, and we endorse your expression of interest, we will invite you to submit a full business and costed development plan and discuss our expectations with you.

We have produced a business plan example template, which details all the information we need and you can use this to form your plan.

If your full business and costed development plan is approved we will issue a conditional offer, subject to planning consent and other statutory requirements.  This will include completion dates for the exchange of contracts, asset disposal and site development. Once all contract provisions have been met, we will hand over the land or building to the community group.

Further information

If you require further information on the programme please email CLH@liverpool.gov.uk.