Housing Needs Survey Report

The Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre has clearly identified a shortfall in affordable housing to buy and rent in the Beverley and East Riding of Yorkshire area. There are many people who have links to the area through work, immediate or extended family who simply cannot afford to rent or buy housing. We have been able to identify this need by the people who have accessed our advice service regarding housing needs. 

 

We strongly believe that the family unit faces different challenges in today's society which can impact their mental health. Through our advice service, we have supported an increased number of young parents who are estranged or distanced from their children due to a break down in the relationship. They have had to move out of the area or are staying with friends / family meaning they cannot have their children to stay over due to a shortage of accommodation. 

 

We have also supported people earning the National Minimum Wage who cannot afford to stay in rented properties in the area. There is also a population of pensioners living on their own in family council houses due to a shortage of smaller accommodation to move into. This is creating a blockage for young families waiting to be housed in the area. 

 

The Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre would like to buy and renovate properties into affordable rental homes with an option for tenants to purchase the properties at some stage. 

 

We hope the project will offer the community an opportunity to access safe affordable housing. Our aim is to develop a community led housing program that feels it has a direction and sense of ownership. We hope this will create movement away from poverty in terms of a safer place to live, building resilience and stability in the community, leading to an improvement in self valuation and the motivation to attend training leading to employment. 

 

Our aim is for the Beverley Cherry Tree Community Centre to be a hub for residents so they can access services such as budgeting, debt management and child care advice. We anticipate to use monitoring forms and feedback loops to show how the community led housing project impacts the area and how it may be improved in the future. 

 

We wish to support local businesses and organisations in terms of construction and development of the properties.