Community Futures
Rural Housing Enabler
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RURAL HOUSING ENABLER
Job Title
Rural Housing Enabler
Responsible To
CEO, Community Futures
Starting Salary
£36,000 p.a.
Hours
37 hours per week (flexible working considered)
Location
Hybrid working. Based in Lancashire with regular travel across the county and occasional travel elsewhere in England.
Aim
Community Futures is seeking a Rural Housing Enabler to help rural communities across Lancashire identify and address local housing needs.
Working within the national ACRE Rural Housing Enabler Programme, the postholder will act as an independent and trusted broker between communities, housing providers, local authorities and other stakeholders. They will use evidence, community engagement and partnership working to identify opportunities for affordable housing and support communities in bringing forward practical solutions.
The role combines community development, project management, housing needs assessment and strategic partnership building. The successful candidate will work with local communities, parish councils, local authorities, Registered Providers, Homes England and landowners to increase the supply of affordable homes which meet local need.
The postholder will maintain and develop a pipeline of projects across Lancashire, strengthen relationships between communities and housing providers, and help ensure that decisions are informed by robust evidence and local knowledge.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement and Development
- Raise public awareness of community-led affordable housing projects and improve understanding of what the RHE is and does by:
- Building productive relationships with community groups, parish councils, town councils and residents.
- Facilitating conversations about local housing need and potential solutions.
- Organising and leading community engagement activities, meetings and events.
- Supporting communities to participate meaningfully and maintain momentum throughout project development.
- Supporting communities to navigate differing viewpoints and build consensus where possible.
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Housing Needs, Research and Evidence
- Coordinate Housing Needs Surveys and other evidence-gathering activities.
- Ensure surveys and consultation activities are robust, inclusive and methodologically sound.
- Analyse and interpret survey findings and other housing evidence.
- Present findings clearly to communities, partners and decision-makers.
- Use available datasets and local intelligence to identify areas where support may be beneficial.
- Maintain accurate records and evidence to support project development and programme reporting.
- Develop and maintain a housing resource hub, bringing together guidance, research, case studies, funding opportunities, and practical tools to support communities, partners and stakeholders in addressing local housing needs.
Housing Partnerships and Delivery
- Build and maintain strong relationships with communities, Registered Providers, Homes England, local authority housing teams, planning officers, landowners and developers.
- Work with partners to identify opportunities for affordable housing delivery.
- Improve understanding and communication between communities and housing providers.
- Support communities to explore potential delivery models and development opportunities.
- Assist with the identification of potential sites and development opportunities.
- Help identify and overcome barriers to scheme progression.
Project Development
- Support existing affordable housing projects across Lancashire.
- Develop new project opportunities and maintain an active pipeline of schemes.
- Work with partners to move projects from initial discussions towards delivery.
- Monitor progress and identify actions needed to maintain momentum.
- Contribute to the development of the Lancashire Rural Housing Partnership and associated work programmes.
- Identify where modest project support or engagement activity can help communities maintain momentum and progress housing initiatives.
- Manage small project development and community engagement budgets in accordance with Community Futures financial procedures.
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Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
- Maintain programme monitoring systems.
- Prepare reports for funders, trustees and partners.
- Contribute to programme evaluation and learning.
- Collect evidence of outcomes and impact.
- Ensure reporting requirements of the ACRE Rural Housing Enabler Programme are met.
General
- Represent Community Futures professionally at local, regional and national events.
- Participate in training and professional development.
- Undertake occasional evening and weekend work as required.
- Carry out other duties reasonably associated with the role.
What Success Looks Like
Within three years, the successful candidate will have:
- Discovered Registered Providers that are interested in rural housing and established working relationships with them.
- Reestablished the Rural Affordable Housing Partnership with relevant partners.
- Increased the number of communities actively exploring affordable housing solutions by a minimum of six.
- Improved the quality and credibility of housing needs evidence.
- Improved the profile of affordable rural housing within Lancashire.
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