Upcycling Trust
Upcycling Trust
Upcycling substandard buildings into affordable housing with Community Land Trusts
- 2023-2028
- Partners: City of Lille, Community Land Trust Brussels, CLT Gent, Free University Brussels, Living 2030, Self Organised Architecture Research CLG, Cork City Council, Lille Européen Metropolis, Metropole of Lille Housing, Rennes Metropolis
- EU Funding: 3,123,919.57 €
- Total Budget: 5,206,532.68 €
Context
The housing crisis affecting many cities in the NWE region is calling for the production of more affordable housing. Building new housing is often in conflict with many cities’ circular strategies, including the preservation of existing open space, and the reduction of building resources. The need for renovation of the housing stock to meet climate targets (energy neutrality by 2050) is both a challenge and an opportunity.
The model of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and Organismes Fonciers Solidaires (OFS) offers an innovative and hybrid form of ownership suitable for such an approach. We observe a growing interest in this innovative approach among communities and authorities, and a significant potential for CLTs to accelerate a just urban transition.
Objectives
With the Upcycling Trust project, we want to explore how the combination of (1) a thorough, circular renovation approach and (2) the decomodification of housing (taking housing off the market so that it cannot be sold at a profit) can lead to more sustainable and affordable cities in a structural way. Moreover, by putting local communities at the heart of the model, we aim to contribute to the resilience of cities.
Partners
City of Lille, Community Land Trust Brussels, CLT Gent, Free University Brussels, Living 2030, Self Organised Architecture Research CLG, Cork City Council, Lille Européen Metropolis, Metropole of Lille Housing, Rennes Metropolis