Our objectives

The heart of our mission is to provide 100% genuinely affordable homes for local people, forever. An ‘asset lock’, where Forest CLT is the long-term steward of every home, means our projects will continue to benefit Waltham Forest for generations to come and will never be lost to the open market. When an owner or renter moves out of a Forest CLT home, they pass on the below-market cost to the next person. A mix of secure long-term rent and affordable ownership means our projects will meet the needs of a diverse cross-section of the local community. A proportion of our rented homes will be available to those on the council’s social housing waiting list and every home, whether rented or owned, will be built to the same high-quality standards. As members of the CLT, our residents will be their own landlords – working together to look after their homes and the community. Resident-controlled management and ambitious sustainability standards will keep running costs down, year after year. Less financial pressure frees up time to volunteer, spend time with family or learn something new, with knock-on benefits far beyond Forest CLT’s residents.

How we’re making housing fairer

Our members live, work or have grown up in Waltham Forest and so are deeply invested in seeing the local area thrive. As a community-led project, we have the ability to identify local needs at a grassroots level and respond to them. It’s a model of regeneration that empowers local people to take charge, rather than pushing them out. People previously excluded from the housing market and the development process will become empowered to make decisions about the homes they build and the culture they create, leading to greater self-esteem, a sense of control and local pride. These benefits can positively impact the wider community via events and skill-shares, as well as through the community spaces and shared facilities. By building well designed, sustainable and affordable homes we will lead by example and bring a sense of positive renewal and optimism for the future, tackling deep-rooted exclusion and inequality.

Our plans for a community hub

Our projects will meet the community’s needs without compromising the needs of future generations or the planet. Our target is to create a net-zero carbon development. We’ll do this by carefully choosing construction materials, generating on-site renewable energy, designing highly energy-efficient homes, encouraging active and car-free lifestyles, and enabling food growing and composting on site. We will address environmental, economic and social sustainability in every decision we make.

Our sustainability goals

We are committed to the co-operative values of self-help, democracy and solidarity in everything we do. Membership is open to all and costs just £1.40, with members working together to contribute to our mission through ‘teams’ and regular members meetings. Our board is democratically elected and any member can stand. For each site, a member-led project team will steer the development process, drawing on expert skills and local participation. Our vision is for Forest CLT residents to work together to collectively manage their homes and community, ensuring accountability and continuing empowerment long into the future.

Meet our members

A healthy, inclusive community is at the heart of our vision for this project. We feel it is essential that all parts of the community feel welcome to come together through Forest CLT and we are committed to creating homes for all people regardless of their age, income, ethnic background, gender, physical ability, faith or sexual orientation. We recognise that this will be best achieved by building an active membership with the diverse backgrounds and experiences needed to inform appropriate and inclusive decision-making. Shared facilities and gardens, where you can really get to know your neighbours, improve individual wellbeing and build community resilience. We believe that bringing people together will strengthen the community both within the project and in the wider area.

As the community land trust for Waltham Forest, Forest CLT’s work is complementary to the council’s priorities. Both organisations are tackling the housing crisis locally and strive to build community empowerment and cohesion. We recognise the importance of working closely and constructively with Waltham Forest Council to make the landscape of affordable housing providers more diverse. We also have an important role to play in supporting the council’s policies on life chances, community cohesion, sustainability and wellbeing from a grassroots level. We have worked hard to secure political support and funding from the council and we are committed to working together to ensure its community-led housing policies are delivered.