Upcycling Trust
SOA is one of 11 partners participating in the EU-funded Upcycling Trust Project. Through development of the Community Land Trust model of home ownership, the project aims to address both energy poverty and long-term housing affordability.
The project is focused on work in 5 pilot cities: Cork (Ireland), Brussels & Gent (Belgium), Lille & Rennes (France). In Ireland, SOA is partnered with Cork City Council and working with Cork Community Land Trust.
The project has three main strands:
Development of architectural and financial solutions for building refurbishment using circular methods. These methods will be tested in the refurbishment of a currently derelict building in Cork city.
Development and testing of community engagement strategies and governance structures for the CLT
Advocacy and rollout of the model
The Upcycling Trust project commenced in 2024 and is scheduled to run until 2028. You can visit the official project website here.