Trust staff spend a great deal of time and effort working very closely with the communities it exists to serve - in particular, with members of their Community Councils at formal and informal meetings to discuss local housing issues.
It's a 2 way process. The Trust relies heavily on tapping the knowledge of local people who know their community best. Communities can rely on the Trust to inform them about what kind of affordable housing options could be secured to meet local nee and how best to go about securing them.
Carrying out housing needs surveys
In the past the Trust regularly carried out questionnaire-based housing surveys to establish the nature and level of local housing needs and the type of housing that is required to meet them and although we think that housing needs and options surgeries do better we will consider surveys, if appropriate.
&The Trust is regularly asked to carry out, or help communities with, confidential housing needs and options surgeries to establish the nature and level of local housing needs and the type of housing provision that is required to meet them.
- Questionnaires / Waiting list info / local knowledge
- Maximise community involvement
- Quantify housing-related needs and aspirations
- Quantify types of need and affordability issues
- houses for rent (for whom?)
- realistic Rural Home Ownership Grant plot demand
- Invite comment on any housing-related issue
- Provide objective and reliable evidence
- Remove uncertainties / diffuse tensions
- Help develop appropriate local housing plans
- Support the 'community planning' process
- Help persuade local landowners to release sites