Seasalt Housing Co-op, which is developing affordable housing for university students in Brighton and Hove, has just been awarded more than £65,000 in funding.
A joint project with Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT), Seasalt has been given 40,266 through Homes England’s Community Housing Fund. This grant will go towards professional fees, such as architect fees, planning costs, site surveys and other costs associated with getting the project off the ground.
The student-led group has also been awarded a grant of £15,000 through the Reach Fund, a grant programme that helps charities and social enterprises raise investment. The programme is funded by Access – The Foundation for Social Investment.
Seasalt – which stands for South EAst Students Autonomously Living Together – is also celebrating a £10,000 pledge from the University of Sussex.
Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) is working in partnership with Seasalt to develop the first student housing co-operative in the city. It will be home to up to 18 students and young people paying affordable rents.
The students are being supported by BHCLT as part of its community-led housing programme, supported by Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC). BHCLT is a non-profit community-led organisation, registered as a community benefit society.
BHCLT is taking responsibility for securing the property and refurbishing it. They are also securing the finances through a mixture of mortgage and other loans, and Seasalt is working with them to secure loans and donations through crowd-funding.
Once complete, BHCLT will transfer responsibility for managing the home to the housing co-op members through a lease. The plan is for students to move in for the start of the academic year in September 2019.
Anyone with an interest in investing in the Seasalt project is encouraged to get in touch with BHCLT at admin@bhclt.org.uk.
One of Seasalt’s student members said: “I have been a supporter of co-operative organisations for a long time, and after experiencing the stress of finding affordable housing in Brighton I started searching for alternatives.
“A high-quality, stable and affordable living environment is vital for student wellbeing. I am hoping to see student housing co-operatives thrive and become the norm across Brighton. With Seasalt we are starting small but aiming big.
“It bothers me that renting to students is seen as a way of making a profit off of young people who tend to be less informed and less likely to invest in the long-term improvement of their homes. This funding is the first step to us being able to regain control over our housing conditions in a way that cares for the wellbeing of students and the environment. Housing that’s not for profit is vital in order to help alleviate the artificial inflation of student housing and the property market in Brighton more widely.”
Martyn Holmes, a director of Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT) said: “SEASALT will be offering affordable housing that meets students’ needs, as well as helping them develop new skills and play an active role in their local community.
“Too often students in Brighton & Hove end up living in expensive and poor-quality housing and SEASALT will be showing an alternative is possible. We are really proud to back such an important project for our region.”
Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust is open to new members. It is just £1 to join.
- This article was amended on 16 May to correct a typographical error in the fourth paragraph, with the correct sum pledged from the University of Sussex at £10,000.
