New partnership means housing charity is ready to build again

Housing charity Liverpool Habitat for Humanity has partnered with Cosmopolitan Housing Association in a £2 million deal that secures the future of a unique low-cost building project in Granby-Toxteth.

Homes at the Habitat site off Kingsley Road are built almost entirely by volunteers, including future home owners who must invest 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ – physically working on site – in lieu of finding a £10,000 cash deposit.

With nine homes built and eight families housed, building work ground to a halt as the recession hit hard.

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.

Interviews have begun with potential home owners, some of whom have been waiting over 18 months for the opportunity to help build a home of their own.

Cosmopolitan Housing Association will fund and enable the development of the remaining 23 houses in six phases over the next two-and-a-half years. They will also purchase the existing show home on site.

Liverpool Habitat for Humanity will continue to manage the build using the Habitat model and principles of sweat equity, volunteer labour and donations of materials and money, as well as the original gift of land from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. LHFH will also continue to select home partners who meet its criteria and a Cosmopolitan representative will join the charity’s family selection committee.

Eligible home partners will have a choice of obtaining a mortgage to purchase one of the homes outright or taking out a shared equity mortgage to own a minimum of 50% of the property and then pay rent to Cosmopolitan on the remaining share. They will be able to buy further shares in the property over time until they own their home in full.

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.”

Dave Griffiths, development director, Cosmopolitan Housing Group, said: “Cosmopolitan Housing Association is delighted to be able to assist LHFH to make such a positive impact in the community and in particular to make a real difference to the futures of these young families by helping them move into their new homes. What makes this project special is the opportunity it gives people to have a hand in actually building their home, which not only makes it affordable but gives them in many cases new skills and a real sense of pride in where they live”

For further information, visit liverpoolhfh.org.uk.