Developing community-led housing
Since 2014, I have explored the challenges and possibilities for developing community-led housing alternatives in London, the UK and internationally. My investigation into such schemes and their relationship to urban engagement, citizen empowerment and spatial justice has led to a range of academic, policy, practice and media outputs, highlights of which are featured below (see full CV).
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Inclusive Collaborative Housing Futures: towards an international agenda’, Housing Studies Association (with additional support from Aston University’s Centre for Critical Inquiry into Society and Culture and Birmingham University´s Housing & Communities Research Group Network)
Alternative housing in London: practices and possibilities (Higher Education Innovation Fund/HEIF5)
Visualising potential housing production in London (Institute for Public Affairs, LSE)
Islington Park Street (National Community Land Trust Network)
Housing in London: Producing more homes in a shifting policy world (Higher Education Innovation Fund/HEIF5)
Professional co-housing development: lessons for the UK, USA and the Netherlands (Innovate UK)
Housing Londoners in London: Is new housing development meeting London’s housing needs? (Trust for London)
Collaborative Housing and Community Resilience, ESRC Seminar Series, in collaboration with the UK Cohousing Network and five universities: Lancaster, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield, (ESRC)
Community-Led Housing Alliance, Network Grant led by British Social Housing Foundation (The Nationwide Foundation)
Visualising London’s Housing Supply Crisis (LSE, Institute of Public Affairs)
Housing in London: Addressing the Crisis (Higher Education Innovation Fund/HEIF5)
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Hendrickson, C. and Fernández Arrigoitia, M. (2022) ‘Community-Led housing in the UK: Learning from Black British and migrant histories’, Radical Housing Journal, 4(2), 183-191.
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Fernandez Arrigoitia, M & Tummers, L. (2019) Cohousing Professionals as “Middle-Agents”: Perspectives from the UK, USA and the Netherlands. Built Environment, 45(3), 346–363.
BOOK CHAPTER: Fernández-Arrigoitia, M. and Scanlon, K. (2017). Of Flux or finality? On the process and dynamics of a co-housing group in formation. In: Self-Build Homes: Social Discourse, Experiences and Directions. Benson, M. and Hamiduddin, I. (Eds.) UCL Press.
EVENT: Convener of 'Inclusive Collaborative Housing Futures: towards an international agenda’, Housing Studies Association/ Aston University’s Centre for Critical Inquiry into Society/ Culture and Birmingham University´s Housing & Communities Research Group Network. 2018
BOOK CHAPTER: Fernández Arrigoitia, M and Scanlon, K. (2016) ‘Collaborative design of senior co-housing: the case of Featherstone Lodge’ in Gromark, Ilomen, Paadam and Stoa (eds.) Ways of residing in transformation: interdisciplinary perspectives, Taylor / Francis, pp.103-128.
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Scanlon, K. and Fernández Arrigoitia, M. (2015). Development of New Cohousing: lessons from a London scheme for the over-50s. Urban Research & Practice.
JOURNAL ARTICLE: Fernández-Arrigoitia, M. and Scanlon, K. (2015). Co-designing senior co-housing. Urban Design Group Journal 136.
REPORT: Jarvis, H., Scanlon, K., and Fernández Arrigoitia, M. with Chatterton, A.K., O'Reilly, D., Sargisson, & Stevenson, Fionn. (2016) Cohousing: shared futures. LSE London, UK Cohousing Network, ESRC.
REPORT: Fernández Arrigoitia, M and Scanlon, K. (2016) Alternative Housing Development in London: Findings and Key Action Points. LSE London / Higher Education Innovation Fund.
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL: 'Visualising London’s Housing Crisis: Problems and Solutions'. Films about different aspects of London’s housing crisis, created a dialogue between audiovisual practice and academic research about the possibilities and limits of the contemporary housing context in London. July 2016.
SEMINAR SERIES: 'Collaborative Housing and Community Resilience', in collaboration with the UK Cohousing Network and universities: Lancaster, LSE, Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield. 2016.
ESSAY: A sense of belonging: the case for more communal living in the UK, The Guardian, 30 June 2016.
BLOG: Fernández Arrigoitia, M. and Scanlon, K. (2015) Towards a community of practice: notes from a London Local Authority roundtable. British Politics and Policy Blog. 7 May.
VIDEO: 'Alternative housing: Lessons from a visit to 3 South London schemes'. 4 Feb 2015. Visiting these three sites – which are all at different stages of development – offered a chance to see first-hand the potential of and the obstacles faced by alternative housing schemes in London.
NETWORK PROGRAMME: Community-led Housing Alliance Network, BSHF and Nationwide Foundation. A two-year programme to create a sector-wide alliance of organisations committed to scaling up community-led housing (2015-17).
FINAL PROJECT EVENT: Alternative Housing Development in London: practices and possibilities, Lewisham. 15 July 2016.
REPORT: 'Islington Park Street: an alternative model for London'. Policy Report for UK CLT Network, September 2015.
![REPORT: Whitehead, C., Fernández, M., Scanlon, K., & Holman, N. (2015) Housing in London: Addressing the Supply Crisis. Higher Education & Innovation Fund [HEIF] 5.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/688cc32729d74d1c11b1ea41/690af4b7-2f0c-4ef4-8ffa-490e4cc239c5/Screenshot+2025-08-18+at+10.18.44.png)
REPORT: Whitehead, C., Fernández, M., Scanlon, K., & Holman, N. (2015) Housing in London: Addressing the Supply Crisis. Higher Education & Innovation Fund [HEIF] 5.
REPORT: Accelerating Housing Production in London (with Holman, N.; Scanlon, K. and Whitehead, C.). Higher Education Innovation Fund, June 2015.
ESSAY: Fernandez, M.F. (2014) Alternative housing could be the answer to London’s housing crisis. British Politics and Policy Blog. October 8.
WORKSHOP BLOG: Fernández Arrigoitia, M. and Scanlon, K. (2014) Increasing the range of alternative approaches to supply in London can significantly increase output. British Politics and Policy Blog. January.