A NEW drive has been launched to help provide community housing in Ryedale.

Community First Yorkshire is working with Ryedale District Council (RDC) to tackle the problems of providing housing for local people at an affordable price.

Leah Swain, chief executive officer at Community First Yorkshire, said: “There is a real need out there for affordable housing for local people, many of whom are often priced out of our villages because of second home ownership.

"It’s something we’re passionate about and we are thrilled to be awarded a two-year contract to help support community-led housing in Ryedale.

“If your community is worried about whether local residents can continue to afford to live in your area, or your village is lacking smaller homes for younger residents or for older people to downsize into, then we can help you explore options to help you meet your community’s housing needs. This is people-powered housing in action where local homes are firmly in the hands of community ownership.”

Councillor Luke Ives, chairman of Ryedale District Council’s policy and resources committee, said: “Community First Yorkshire is locally-based and can demonstrate a good knowledge of Ryedale. As a specialist in community-led housing and other community development related issues, they are perfectly placed to encourage our communities to explore options for developing housing that exactly matches their needs.”

Community First Yorkshire will work to raise awareness of, and enthusiasm for, community-led housing among Ryedale’s community groups, parish councils, landowners or anyone with a local interest.

Over the next two years, it will help communities to identify opportunities worth investing in and encourage groups to consider building and owning their own homes using the available funding.

As part of the project, a free community-led housing workshop is being held on Wednesday, February 28, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, at Middleton and Aislaby Village Hall. Attendees will be able to find out more about starting their own community-led housing project.

To book, email hayley.johnson@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk or phone 01904 704177.