Community Land Trust Fund

Delivering Affordable Sustainable Housing

Technical assistance

National CLT Network logo

The Technical Assistance Fund has been established to provide community groups with grants of up to £5,000 so that they can buy in professional or technical advice.

This can include, but is not restricted to:

  1. Community engagement and membership (this excludes costs for stationery, photocopying and other administration costs)
  2. Legals and governance – legal fees, including establishing the CLT as a legal entity, preferably using the CLT Legal Toolkit; entering into an option agreement and purchase with land owner; entering into an agreement to lease and a lease or an alternative disposal method; negotiating a Section 106 agreement; capacity building for the Board
  3. Financials – site feasibility study, project feasibility study, business planning, valuation fees, conveyancing and other specialist fees
  4. Procurement – building methods including contracting professional team.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the work that a CLT will need to undertake at the early stage of development. CLTs are encouraged to put as much thought as possible into the requirements of the project at this stage and draw on any other sources of support that may be available to make a strong case for investment in the project.

All applicants to the Technical Assistance Fund will need to demonstrate how the proposed homes (and other assets) will be affordable and stand to benefit the wider community.

The TAF Panel strongly feels that CLTs must be community-led and that support by independent professionals, whilst necessary and welcomed, is not a substitute for an engaged committee or steering group. Applications that are not clearly able to demonstrate the independence and commitment of the community involved may not be successful.

The panel is looking to support CLTs that are likely to deliver successful projects. It is particularly interested in receiving applications from CLTs that intend to use the Homes and Communities Agency’s funding for community-led housing and/or the CLT Fund’s Investment Fund.

The panel is also interested in receiving applications from CLTs in urban areas and may consider applications from existing CLTs.

How to apply to the Technical Assistance Fund

Please answer the following five sections as briefly as possible. You can download a copy of these questions and the organisation details sheet here. (Word doc 81.5KB)

Section 1

Q1.1   What is your vision for a Community Land Trust in your area?

Q1.2   Why do you think a Community Land Trust is the most appropriate model?

Q1.3   Please describe the scale of your project.

How many properties are you planning to build in the current scheme? Do you envisage building more in the future?

Q1.4   What do you hope to achieve in your community through this project?  Will it make a difference to your community?

Section 2

Q2.1   Why are you the right people to do this work?

Q2.2   What skills do you have?

Q2.3   What skills are you missing and how will you acquire them?

Section 3

Q3.1   Who are the community/group you are working with? (The proposed occupants of the houses being built)

Q3.2   Have you carried out a housing needs survey? What were the results of the survey? If you have not carried out a housing needs survey how do you know there is a need for the type of housing you are proposing?

Q3.3   Other than the housing needs survey have you consulted your local community about this proposal?

Q3.4   How will you select the occupants of the housing you plan to build?

Section 4

Q4.1   Will the proposed housing be constructed using local materials or sustainable building techniques?

Answering no to this question will not affect our decision to offer you a grant

Section 5

Q5.1   How will you spend the technical assistance fund grant?

Please provide a brief explanation of each activity for example ‘to complete the set up of an incorporated organisation’, ‘to develop a governance model’, ‘to develop an allocation policy’.

Please provide a breakdown of the number of days/cost of each activity

If your accounts or bank statement show a healthy balance you will need to explain why you are unable to pay for this technical assistance from your own funds

Q5.2   How did you hear about the Technical Assistance Fund?

Along with your answers to these questions, please send us:

Please send your application to:

CLT Technical Assistance Fund
The National CLT Network
c/o National Housing Federation
Lion Court
25 Procter Street
London WC1V 6NY

We will not accept applications by email.

The National CLT Network administers the Technical Assistance Fund. Grants are made from the Technical Assistance Fund by a panel of funders and a housing expert. The panel’s decision is final. Unfortunately, not all applicants can receive a grant from the Technical Assistance Fund.