Meeting Housing Needs the Co‑Operative Way

Meeting housing needs the co‑operative way Housing Co‑operatives, Tenant Management Organisations, Community Housing Mutual, Community Gateway Association, Community Land Trust, Mutual Home Ownership Society, Co‑housing Co‑operative values and principles British co‑operatives of all kinds work together co‑operative. Members usually receive limited through Co‑operativesUK, which in turn is an compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as active member of the International Co‑operative a condition of membership. Members allocate Alliance, the umbrella organisation of the global surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: co‑operative movement. developing their co‑operative, possibly by setting Internationally, co‑operatives undertake to abide up reserves, part of which at least would be by the values and principles of the co‑operative indivisible; benefiting members in proportion movement, as laid down by the ICA: to their transactions with the co‑operative; and supporting other activities approved by the Values membership. Co‑operatives are based on the values of 4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence self‑help, self‑responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their Co‑operatives are autonomous, self‑help founders, co‑operative members believe in organisations controlled by their members. the ethical values of honesty, openness, social If they enter to agreements with other responsibility and caring for others. organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on Principles terms that ensure democratic control by their The co‑operative principles are guidelines members and maintain their co‑operative by which co‑operatives put their values into autonomy. practice. 5th Principle: Education, Training and 1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership Information Co‑operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services Co‑operatives provide education and training and willing to accept the responsibilities of for their members, elected representatives, membership, without gender, social, racial, managers, and employees so they can contribute political or religious discrimination. effectively to the development of their co‑operatives. They inform the general public 2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control ‑ particularly young people and opinion leaders Co‑operatives are democratic organisations - about the nature and benefits of co-operation. controlled by their members, who actively 6th Principle: Co‑operation among participate in setting their policies and Co‑operatives making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the Co‑operatives serve their members most membership. In primary co‑operatives members effectively and strengthen the co‑operative have equal voting rights (one member, one movement by working together through local, vote) and co‑operatives at other levels are also national, regional and international structures. organised in a democratic manner. 7th Principle: Concern for Community 3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation Co‑operatives work for the sustainable Members contribute equitably to, and development of their communities through democratically control, the capital of their policies approved by their members. co‑operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the Meeting housing needs the co‑operative way Introduction Britain has a housing problem: the pioneering work of Tenant hard to understand. In Sweden, the country needs more good Management Organisations for example, co‑operative quality homes for its people, at (which in some cases have housing occupies a central purchase prices or rent levels moved on from tenant‑run role in the country’s overall that everyone can manage. property management to actual housing sector: two large Co‑operative models offer ownership) and creative new co‑operative organisations innovative and affordable ideas for affordable housing together provide over 750,000 solutions which can help the such as Community Land Trusts homes. In Canada and Norway, country meet these challenges. and Mutual Home Ownership. co‑operative housing is seen as The different forms of Co‑housing schemes are highly important when housing co‑operative housing outlined developing, too, giving their strategy is debated. And it’s in this brochure are there to members the advantages of a similar story in many other meet different needs, but they living in strong communities countries worldwide. have one fundamental thing in whilst enjoying the benefits of This booklet has a simple aim: common: they put democracy owner occupancy. to focus attention on the full and community ownership Britain led the world a potential of co‑operatives at the heart of housing. At a century and a half ago in the to meet housing needs. time when neighbourhoods development of co‑operatives, Co‑operation not only gives are polarised by the stigma and this was as true in the people decent houses to which still attaches to social housing field as it was in the live in. It also enables them housing, and when housing consumer co‑op movement. to participate fully in the associations are merging into The housing co‑op movement management and control of larger and more remote bodies, can trace its origins back to their houses, playing their part co‑operative housing offers a inspiring examples of collective as members of democratic refreshing alternative vision: action for decent housing in the organisations dedicated to a model that’s in line with early nineteenth century. The serving the needs of all. For the natural instincts people garden city idea developed at co‑operative housing, tenant have about the ownership and the very start of the twentieth engagement isn’t just an add‑on management of their homes. century by Ebenezer Howard ‑ it is central to everything they Several hundred housing was another practical example do. co‑operatives in Britain provide of successful co‑operative quality social housing for their housing. So it’s perhaps ironic tenant‑members, sometimes that, today, co‑operative ways taking a lead in the provision to meet housing needs aren’t of highly energy efficient as well known in Britain as they housing. The co‑operative might be. Despite their proven housing movement has track record, co‑operative created other models, too: housing organisations don’t recent years have seen, for make the headlines ‑ and example, the development of this means that they can be overlooked when public policy the Community Gateway and Children in the play area at Edward Henry Community Housing Mutual is created. House Co‑operative in London models applicable for large It’s an omission which people © Bob Kauders Photography scale housing stock transfers, in other countries would find Meeting housing needs the co‑operative way 1 Housing co‑operatives: putting democracy into housing provision Housing co‑operatives bring According to Nic Bliss of the areas co‑ops have worked in democratic accountability and Confederation of Co‑operative innovative partnerships with control to the heart of the Housing, it’s the informal housing associations to develop rented housing sector. If you networks which develop new homes), but at present live in a housing co‑op, you in co‑ops which make the there’s little encouragement for are individually a tenant of the co‑operative difference. “The large housing associations to co‑op ‑ but you can also share interrelation between people learn from these examples. So control jointly with your fellow means, for example, that long‑established co‑ops, who tenants of all the houses owned anti‑social behaviour problems continue to provide excellent by the co‑op. It’s a model which that exist in larger associations service to their members, can combines the individual spirit only rarely exist in co‑ops be frustrated at the lack of of home ownership with strong ‑ they’re nipped in the bud by growth opportunities. community support structures. personal interaction between There’s a missed opportunity There are about 00 ownership the people involved,” he says. here, in other words, which housing co‑ops in Britain, many “As well as this, in a co‑op that co‑ops would like government of them with a successful track is working well, repairs and policy to address. But despite record going back for 5 years other issues get dealt with at an this, the British housing or longer. early stage, because people are co‑operative movement there on the ground. Places are today is energetic and Most housing co‑ops are looked after properly.” fully mutual: all the tenants forward‑looking, successfully are automatically able to be Housing co‑operatives also providing social housing to members of the co‑operative work together. In Merseyside, many thousands of people. It’s and only tenants can be for example, 9 co‑ops have also acting as a think tank for members. Most co‑ops recently come together to new ideas in empowerment (though not all) are part of the set up the specialist housing across the whole social housing social housing sector and are services agency North West sector. therefore also registered social Housing Services. It’s a mutual landlords. in its own right ‑ in effect, a co‑operative of co‑operatives. On average, housing co‑operatives tend to own Unfortunately recent about 50 or so homes. government policy of Member participation can channelling social housing work particularly well in funding through very large organisations of this size, housing associations has made though there are a number of it difficult for housing co-ops well‑run housing co‑ops which to develop new homes, whilst demonstrate the success of keeping their independence. co‑ops with several hundred Co‑ops have found ways to be properties under their control. creative (for example, in some Member tenants of a Bengali housing co‑operative, Shahjalal, based in Birmingham Meeting housing needs the co‑operative way Belgrave: in the heart of Leicester’s ‘Golden Mile’ The Belgrave Neighbourhood Co‑operative Housing Association owns 334 properties, mainly traditional terraced houses, in the area to the north of Leicester city centre.

Load more