Resonance

Yorspace Community Land Trust

Building Affordable Low-Carbon Homes in York

NAME OF ORGANISATION: Yorspace Community Land Trust

LOCATION: York

YEAR FOUNDED: 2015

ABOUT: Yorspace is part of the growing movement of Community Land Trusts across the UK, with the aim of creating an alternative route to housing that empowers the people of York to create and fund their own low cost, environmentally sustainable and resilient communities

INVESTMENT PURPOSE: To enable YorSpace to develop 14 affordable low-carbon homes at Lowfield Green, York

INVESTMENT AMOUNT: £2.5m

DATE OF INVESTMENT: 2024

SOURCE OF INVESTMENT: Resonance Community Developers

IMPACT: Housing & Homelessness; Community & Local Democracy

ABOUT:  Yorspace are working with City of York Council, York residents and a team of excellent local professionals to deliver affordable housing projects. Their vision is to create an alternative route to housing that empowers the people of York to create and fund their own low cost, environmentally sustainable and resilient communities. The first project is Lowfield Green, Westfield, York. 

PURPOSE OF INVESTMENT: The goal of the investment is to enable YorSpace to develop 14 affordable low-carbon homes at Lowfield Green, York: YorSpace and Lowfield Green Housing Co-op have been working with People Powered Homes Ltd (a community coordinator for RCD) to bring forward development of a former school site. The scheme forms a section of a larger site which has been developed by City of York Council for private, affordable, and self-build housing. 

“In a city that has left many people behind, YorSpace CLT is on a mission to create lower cost, low-carbon communities in York, that are designed by and for the people that live here. As a Community Land Trust we're here to lock land and buildings away into community ownership and use those assets to help the people of York in building community wealth for its citizens. 

The challenges faced with getting our first project at Lowfield Green off the ground have been complex and varied. At times it has felt like this project might never happen as both grant funding and investment have been hard to access since 2020. Resonance's commitment to invest in our community enterprise has helped to unlock grant funding and made our project viable. 

We are delighted to be working in partnership with the team from Resonance Community Developers, whose shared social aims and values align perfectly with our own. 

Through our ongoing relationship with RCD we hope to share our learning with other like-minded organisations, to pave the way and make it easier for them to deliver upon their own visions for a fairer and more equitable society.” Laurie Smith, CEO, YorSpace CLT 

Resonance Limited is a company registered in England and Wales no. 04418625

Resonance Impact Investment Limited, a subsidiary of Resonance Limited, is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Firm number 588462.

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