The new alliance will campaign for greater support for community led housing from the next Scottish Government and Parliament.

The new group says that, when people lead on meeting local housing needs, there are added benefits and housing becomes a catalyst for regenerating the wider community and place. The group adds that communities have been driven to act because of the shortfall in affordable homes and homes to rent, high levels of homelessness and too much ‘ineffective’ housing lying empty or in use as second homes.

This crisis is directly affecting people in housing need, and causing wider harm. It must be addressed to retain young people and families in rural and island communities and attract new residents, recruit key workers and sustain public services, revitalise town centres, and realise people’s ambitions for economic development and opportunity.

With funding from the Nationwide Foundation, South of Scotland Community Housing and Communities Housing Trust are coordinating the new Community Led Housing Alliance, with the collaboration of Community Land Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland. Through the Alliance, community organisations from across Scotland will come together and campaign for change which delivers more community led homes.

The CLH Alliance point out that community groups have delivered hundreds of affordable homes across the country and could provide 1,000 more over the next five years, if properly supported by the next Scottish Government and Parliament.

Mike Staples, chief executive of South of Scotland Community Housing, added: “Communities are acting partly because others are not. There is market failure in rural and island areas, where large commercial housebuilders are not active and the number of small and medium-sized developers has declined.”

“In Scotland’s towns, more needs to be done to tackle the problems of long-term empty homes and vacant non-domestic properties, which could be converted to housing.”

“Community led housing is also a good way to do housing, not just a way to fill gaps in provision. When local people lead on housing, it becomes an opportunity to bring land and buildings into community hands and use that wealth for wider community benefit.”

Scottish Government assistance has been essential to the growth of community led housing and its successes so far. In joint partnership with the Nationwide Foundation, funding has been provided for Scotland’s community housing enablers – South of Scotland Community Housing and Communities Housing Trust – who provide communities with expert advice and practical help. Community projects have also been supported directly through the Scottish Government Rural and Islands Housing Funds.

Looking ahead, the substantial pipeline of projects which has been created is at risk without greater commitment from Scotland’s main political parties to continued and expanded support for community led housing in the next Parliament, from 2026 to 2031.

Alliance members will produce a shared vision for community led housing in 2031 and proposals for how the next Scottish Government and Parliament can help to realise this vision and deliver over 1,000 more community led homes. A Community Led Housing Manifesto will be published in Autumn 2025.

Morven Taylor, interim chief executive of Communities Housing Trust, said: “This is a vital period for community led housing in Scotland. We understand the potential scale of delivery from an existing pipeline of projects.

“To ensure this happens, there is a requirement for cross-party support for a positive, flexible and trusting policy framework that supports communities and the vital role of the community led housing enablers. We are excited to work in collaboration with partners to establish the Alliance and ensure evidence is presented to underpin this need.”

Gary Hartin, programme manager for backing community-led housing at the Nationwide Foundation, said: “Our long-term commitment to funding community led housing reflects our belief that it offers a genuine alternative to the standard, and often unsuccessful, methods of delivering affordable homes.”

“By embracing this grassroots-led approach, we can collectively unlock the potential to create more decent and affordable homes at scale. Our funding of this new Community Led Housing Alliance, and its aim to gain cross-party political support for community led housing, is a key step towards to achieving that goal.”