The Development Trust is determined to address the lack of affordable housing and are keen to look at creative solutions to issues such as land shortage, lack of suitable brownfield sites and matching housing need to economic aspirations for the town.

Working with the wider community, the Development Trust, alongside local parish councils, produced this film over the summer of 2007 to capture the effect of high house prices on the local community and work with people to deliver affordable housing.

The Federation of Northumberland Development Trusts Affordable Housing Project is working with community based organisations to enable ‘affordable’ housing development. Our intention is to bring into residential use: land, redundant buildings, and vacant space over shops for local people to both rent and purchase in rural Northumberland. The FoNDT Affordable Housing project will need to source alternative finance as the projects supported will be operating outside of the social housing grant structures.

As a result of this work the Coastal Housing Project has built links with housing associations, local authorities, and landowners. A housing needs surveys have also been undertaken in Seahouses and Beadnell and exploratory work started on a number of potential developments.

The affordable housing project part 1

The affordable housing project part 2

The affordable housing project part 3