A NEW hub to help communities across North Yorkshire develop affordable homes has been launched this week.

Communities often struggle to find housing for local people for reasons such as second home ownership and high house prices which can lead to the loss of local facilities including schools, shops and public transport.

The Reach Community Led Housing Hub will provide information and advice to help local groups get started and manage development projects.

An Advisors Panel will provide access to firms with expertise in community development, architecture, planning, surveying, law and accountancy.

Cllr Richard Foster, Chair of the Yorkshire North, Yorkshire and East Riding Housing Board, said: “This new service will make the delivery of community-led housing much simpler by bringing everything together in one place and helping communities get started to bring much-needed affordable housing to their local area.”

The Hub will also be running a series of information seminars for community groups.

The project is being funded via the Government’s Community Housing Fund.

The first group to benefit was the Hudswell Community Charity that recently welcomed tenants to three houses built in the village.

Anybody interested in signing up to the Advisors Panel needs to complete a questionnaire that will help communities to decide who to appoint.

Advisers will be expected to have some knowledge of working with communities and/or housing projects.

More details are at reachcommunityhousing.co.uk