Who we are

It Takes A City Community Land Trust (ITAC-CLT) is a membership organisation with our Board being elected from among the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

We are one of a number of charities working to reduce homelessness in Greater Cambridge, including rough sleepers and those often referred to as the ‘Hidden Homeless’ – a term used to describe people who lack stable housing and are dealing with this in a more formal, less visible way. This can include ‘sofa surfers’ who live temporarily with friends and family, and those who sleep in their cars, on night buses or in sheds.

We are committed to building homes designed for single occupancy, to give a secure and supported option for those wanting to manage their own home, alongside those with similar experience, as well as the wider community.

What we do

ITAC Community Land Trust works with a number of partners to deliver innovative modular housing, known as ‘pods. These pods are located on sites identified as being suitable to develop small schemes available to local people who have experienced homelessness.

Initially, we were looking at utilising temporary land owned by Cambridge City Council, which was not yet in use for housing, and we worked very closely with them to identify the site for our first project, ‘Joy’s Corner’. However, the aim is for future sites to be located on permanent land, either owned / long-term leased, or hybrid schemes alongside traditional social housing in partnership with a developer.

We consider ourselves to be house builders, facilitators, project managers, co-ordinators, effectively landlords, fundraisers, and occasionally shelf putter-uppers.

History

Back in 2018, there was a homelessness summit, and from this a number of projects were set up, including one for support, one for women, an information project and a housing project. It Takes A City started as a concept, by 2019 it was a charity, and then in the spring of 2020, It Takes a City (Cambridge) was registered with the Charity Commission.

The housing project started after the summit was gaining momentum, and in July 2020, It Takes A City Community Land Trust was incorporated by It Takes a City as an exempt charity registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 as a Community Benefit Society.

The two charities, whilst legally and financially independent, do share a mission to support vulnerable people on their long journey away from the streets, and to make sure everyone has somewhere to call home, with the support they need. We also share a Founder and Chair, Chris Jenkin, BEM.

Having persevered through the pandemic and having faced a very steep learning curve, our inaugural supported modular house scheme was ready to welcome its first resident at the end of 2024, with the four pods being fully occupied by the end of February 2025.

Trustees

Chris Jenkin BEM – Chair, Director, Secretary

Chris is a former technology and business consultant, charity entrepreneur, and founder of It Takes a City and It Takes a City CLT, with over 18 years’ experience tackling homelessness through cross-sector collaboration. He is Chair of It Takes a City, Co-Chair of the Cambridge Homelessness Charter, and a founder and former Development Board member of the Cambridge Impact Fund.

Paul Belton – Director

Paul is Head of Planning and Development East at Carter Jonas, with extensive experience in town planning, development, and unlocking complex regeneration and infrastructure projects across both the public and private sectors. He specialises in leading multidisciplinary teams, navigating the planning process, and delivering strategic development solutions that create sustainable places and communities, and supports It Takes a City Community Land Trust in unlocking complex sites to deliver innovative, community-led housing.

Bob Ensch – Director

Bob is Programme Lead for FutureIN and Chair of the Cambridge & South Cambridgeshire Construction Board, with extensive experience in skills development, apprenticeships and workforce innovation in the construction sector. As a Trustee of It Takes a City Community Land Trust, he supports initiatives that bring together industry, local authorities and communities to deliver lasting social impact.

Rebecca Howard – Director

Rebecca is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser, and a Consultant Chief Financial Officer with Green Caterpillar Consulting, bringing extensive experience in finance, governance and organisational leadership. She serves as a trustee of It Takes a City Community Land Trust and has held senior leadership roles in the charity sector, supporting organisations focused on homelessness prevention, community development and social impact.

Mark Mitchell – Co-opted Director, Treasurer

Trustee of local specialised housing association and a Qualified Accountant

Vacancies

Paid roles

Currently no vacancies.

Unpaid roles

We are always looking for potential trustees with a wide range of experience and expertise, who will bring energy and commitment to our projects, and hopefully broaden the diversity and thinking of the board.

We are particularly keen to hear from people with the following experience:

  • Health and Safety
  • Fundraising

For more information about joining our board of trustees, please contact us info@itacclt.org.uk.