Community Land Trust, Fourth option for housing
We have owner
occupier, rented and shared ownership. If you pay a rent, it never ends.
Shared ownership means one can buy up to 80% of the property, which can
be sold on the open market, this means it is not affordable for the next
generation.
For a number of years
it would appear that people believe house values are the only thing that
matters; and they must keep going up. Most people know this can’t
happen, but somehow all government bodies delay the fall, well, now it
has happened.
We have huge
individual debts, family breakdown, crime and mental depression in our
communities, businesses have closed down to become brown field sites
creating more job losses. We should be addressing these issues before
they begin.
Whilst it is
important to have ones own space, people do need the company of others
and a revised layout and design is needed. This would mean all
development land could be passed over to a community trust and a rental
would be paid to the owners. Income from agricultural land at this time
would be about £500 an acre. If one doubled this to £1000 an acre it
would not be unreasonable or the possibility of paying 25 years up
front. The trust would oversee development. Developers would be
instructed to build houses for around £80,000. These would be sold at
cost, plus ground rent, to the people with a priority need in the
district, with a restriction that one may only sell back to the trust.
We are not suggesting
every new development will be community based. Individual homes could be
built under the fourth option.
Let’s build a peoples
palace.
Election 1995, has anything changed?
These two
designs could be used for older people’s living facilities and
include community garden etc.
This middle design could have a green garden on
each tier and could house a number of families under one roof.
They would include a library, café, place of worship, crèche,
sports facilities etc. Three fifths of the land would be open
space. |
This design could be use as
supported accommodation for young people leaving care, Multiple
Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s etc.
Children’s centres and a junior
school could be included in large developments. |
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Advantages of this
new system
1) A cheaper
housing system would mean those with a high level of debt
(estimated 15 million people) could sell their property and buy
at a lower rate giving them some spare capital.
2) A
possibility of a lower divorce rate because couples would have
more money left after the monthly mortgage has been paid.
3) People
could save for retirement easier, because the house could be
paid for earlier and create a family savings plan.
4) A four day
working week for the over 50s and a 3 day week for the over 60s,
not work to the age of 70.
5) Affordable
rest homes could be more available. Save state benefits.
6) Save
heating, with solar panels (a smaller number of outside walls to
save heat)
7) Work
places on site and saving carbon dioxide, make computer rooms
available for people to work from home.
8) Collection
and recycling facilities
9) Lowest
community charge
10) Low
agents fee
11)
Affordable industrial units could be included.
12) Mothers
wouldn’t have to go to work full time
13) Have more
money to buy consumer goods
14) Would be
spaced to create community gardens.
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This is
another of a number of designs that could be created for a
community life, whilst still maintaining ones independence,
keeping the surrounding area as open space.
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