Module 1: Identifying Need and Opportunity

In the Identifying Need and Opportunity module, we’ll explore the very first steps in designing an Empty Spaces to Homes project, including:

• Finding and acquiring an empty building
• Understanding the local housing need
• Thinking about the key partners that can help to bring the project to life.

Perhaps you already have a clear vision for your project. You might already know what sort of housing you’d like to create and who your target resident group is. Perhaps you already own an empty building that you’d like to repurpose, but aren’t quite sure what end use would be most impactful. Or perhaps you’re starting completely from scratch, with an interest in delivering affordable housing but no clear plan in place yet for how to achieve this.

Wherever you’re starting from, this module will walk you through the early, but important, steps involved in transforming vacant buildings in your area into much-needed, genuinely affordable homes. You can work your way through the lessons in this module in whichever order you’d prefer, depending on whether you’d like to start by finding a building or mapping the local housing need. Either way, the combination of these lessons will help you to build a strong case for why you’re carry out your project that you can present to partners and funders, preparing you to identify challenges early on and design the best housing outcome for your community.