Durham Community Action provides support for any community led housing project or initiative in County Durham. We work as part of Communities CAN which is a regional support hub for community-led housing, charged with promoting and supporting a broad range of initiatives across the North East of England. Support is available to local groups who want to provide community-led housing through peer support, technical support, links with specialist suppliers and advice on best practice.
What is Community Led Housing
- Community led housing is where local people join together to look at housing issues in their local area
- This starts with the community identifying what is needed, such as there aren’t enough starter homes for people to buy, there are too many empty properties or that there aren’t enough affordable homes to rent
- The community can then play a leading role in solving these housing problems by exploring the needs of their community and helping to provide new homes in the area.
How the hub can help
- Give you advice on how to set up a community led housing group
- Help you find the right people in your area to join the project
- Help you access funding and support for the project
- Link you with our teams and partners who will be able to offer advice on your project and help you meet your community’s needs
Case Studies
Middleton Plus Development Trust
There is real pressure on homes in Middleton in Teesdale due to the high number of second homes, high private rents and a shortage of social housing. The Development Trust believed passionately that this was something they wished to address. A recent survey of housing data produced by Durham Community Action and ARC4 suggested that 90% of residents in this village would struggle to pay market rents. The conversion of the old Tourist Information office has not only provided an affordable two-bedroom flat but has also provided an artist studio below. The building is a centrepiece of the town, having been built in 1770, so it has also contributed to the regeneration of this market town.
Read the Middleton Plus case study here
Bainbridge Chapel – North Yorkshire
In September 2024, Bainbridge Methodist Church reopened its doors – not as a place of worship but as two affordable homes for local residents. Led by the Upper Dales Community and supported by the Rural Housing Enabler, this community-led project shows how rural places can take housing into their own hands.
“We have wonderful memories of this chapel. Now it's something we can celebrate again as it’s still very much part of the community." Councillor Yvonne Peacock, UDCLT member.
Read the Bainbridge Chapel case study here
For more information, please contact Susan Tron on 01388 742040 or by email
DCA are also part of the Defra funded national Rural Housing Enabling Programme, which aims to boost the supply of new rural affordable housing.
