For most people, a home is more than just a roof over their head — it’s the foundation for security, opportunity, and belonging.
At Thrift Soham Community Land Trust (CLT), we believe that creating affordable homes isn’t just about housing — it’s about building stronger, more connected, and more resilient communities.
What Does “Affordable” Really Mean?
When we talk about affordable housing, we don’t just mean cheaper rent or lower prices.
True affordability is about ensuring that local people — those who live, work, and raise families in our town — can continue to do so without being priced out of their own community.
In many towns, rising property prices and private developments make it difficult for younger generations and key workers to stay local.
Affordable homes through a Community Land Trust change that dynamic by keeping ownership and control within the community — so homes remain affordable not just today, but for generations to come.
Why Affordable Housing Matters
Affordable housing is one of the most effective ways to strengthen a community — and here’s how it makes a difference:
1. Keeping Families Together
When housing costs rise, families often have to move away from the places they’ve always called home.
Affordable homes help families stay close — supporting local schools, caring for relatives, and preserving the social ties that hold communities together.
2. Supporting Local Employment
Teachers, nurses, care workers, and other essential members of our community often struggle to live near their workplaces.
Affordable homes ensure that the people who serve our community can also be part of it — reducing travel, improving wellbeing, and strengthening the local economy.
3. Encouraging Long-Term Stability
When people can afford to stay, they invest more in their neighbourhood — in friendships, volunteering, and local initiatives.
Stable housing leads to stable lives, and stable lives build stronger, more resilient communities.
4. Reinvesting in the Local Economy
At Thrift Soham CLT, any income generated from our developments is reinvested directly back into Soham.
That means more local projects, more community spaces, and more opportunities for residents — ensuring that every pound spent stays where it belongs: right here in our town.
Thrift Soham’s Approach to Affordability
Since our formation in 2014, Thrift Soham has worked to ensure that every home we create remains affordable forever.
We achieve this by holding land in community ownership — so it can never be sold off for private profit.
This model allows us to:
- Build energy-efficient, well-designed homes that reduce long-term costs for residents.
- Offer fair rents and part ownership options that suit different needs.
- Ensure local people are prioritised when homes become available.
Our goal is to create developments that aren’t just affordable — but sustainable, inclusive, and designed to last.
A Home That Builds More Than Walls
Affordable housing doesn’t just change individual lives — it transforms communities.
It allows people to stay close to their roots, contributes to local vitality, and ensures that the next generation can live where they grew up.
At Thrift Soham, we see each home as part of something bigger:
a thriving, welcoming, and connected Soham — where everyone has the chance to belong.
Be Part of the Change
We’re building a stronger, fairer future for Soham — and we’d love you to be part of it.
Whether you’d like to volunteer, become a member, or simply learn more about what we do, your support helps us continue this vital work.
📩 Join us today — Register Your Interest or contact us at clerk@thriftsoham.org.uk to find out how you can get involved.
Together, we can make Soham a place where everyone has the opportunity to call home.
