Partnership allows housing charity to build
A partnership between housing charity Liverpool Habitat for Humanity and Cosmopolitan Housing Association has been formed. The £2m deal will secure the future of a unique low-cost building project in Granby-Toxteth.
Volunteers have almost entirely built the homes at the Habitat site in Liverpool in a scheme that sees future homeowners invest 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ by physically working on the site in lieu of finding a £10,000 cash deposit.
Building work had ground to a halt when the recession hit, with nine homes built and eight families housed.
Now a combination of the deal with Liverpool-based Cosmopolitan Housing Association, volunteer help from the Territorial Army’s 75 Engineer Regiment to dig drains and build the road that will service the remaining homes, a donation of materials from construction giant Balfour Beatty and subsidiary Birse Civils, plus the backing of Liverpool City Council, means the housing charity can start building again very soon.
Rev Dr Shannon Ledbetter, chair of Liverpool Habitat for Humanity, said: “This is a win-win situation for everyone. Local families who ordinarily could not afford to get on to the property ladder can help to build a home of their own, with their input valued at £10,000; volunteers and trainees can improve their skills and experience on a ‘live’ building site; home owners, volunteers, staff and community groups will benefit from working together to create a multi-cultural community; and, as enablers for the scheme, Cosmopolitan Housing Association will gain additional good quality housing stock. We are delighted to be partnering with Cosmopolitan and look forward to the successful completion of the remaining 23 homes.”
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