Citizens House in Lewisham was designed in collaboration with residents and partly funded through Big Issue Invest, Big Issue’s social investment arm. Now the homes have been nominated for RIBA’s Neave Brown Award for affordable housing
Community land trust homes in London that will remain “permanently affordable” and were partly funded by Big Issue have been nominated for a prestigious architecture prize.
Citizens House in Lewisham, south-east London, opened its doors in 2023 offering 11 homes linked to local incomes at the cost of £2.5 million and 10 years of hard campaigning.
The London housing price-busting project received funding from Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of the Big Issue, as well as the mayor of London’s community housing fund, and community shareholders in the CLT.
Now the building, designed by Archio, has been shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) 2025 Neave Brown Award for Housing which celebrates the UK’s best new affordable housing.
Holger Westphely, head of lending at Big Issue Invest, said: “We’re really proud to have supported Citizens House – it’s a brilliant example of what communities can achieve when they come together. The volunteers behind this project have shown incredible dedication, and this shortlisting is a well-deserved recognition of their efforts. It’s a reminder of how vital community-led housing is in creating affordable, secure homes.”
