Annual report - May 2005
CCH progress
The CCH's programme has continued apace during the last year, consisting primarily of:
- developing & supporting programmes & initiatives developed in previous years;
- working on a programme to engage with the CCH membership;
- working in partnership with Co-operatives UK to establish a Co-op Housing Group;
- working in partnership with the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations on various joint agendas.
CCH membership
The CCH has commissioned Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services to engage with the CCH's membership and potential membership. The purpose of this project is to explore the national position regarding housing co-ops and to consider how the CCH can best respond to our membership's wishes and aspirations.
The Co-operative Housing Group
In partnership with Co-operatives UK, we have established a Co-operative Housing Group, chaired by Andy Love MP, and bringing together representatives from CCH, Co-ops UK, the Co-op Party, the Co-op Bank and the Nationwide Building Society, and from two of the leading co-operative housing support organisations. The group is working to develop an agenda for co-operation in housing, and to support a range of programmes to take forward initiatives developed by the CCH and other co-operative housing organisations. Key areas under discussion include:
- developing a programme to provide guidance to housing co-ops on governance and sustainability issues;
- supporting the CCH's Community Gateway model;
- supporting the New Economics Foundation and CDS Co-operatives model for mutual homeownership;
- exploring a co-operative Property Investment Fund (PIF), a new model whereby co-operative movement and other assets could be brought together to fund co-operative housing development;
- considering how the Community Land Trust model could be used in such environments as Housing Market Renewal Areas and New Deal for Communities;
- supporting a NUS programme to develop student housing co-ops.
The group's programme will be discussed at Co-op Congress in May 2005.
Working with the NFTMO
During the year, the CCH has had dialogue with our sister organisation, the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations, to agree the following joint initiatives:
- a joint conference for the two organisations in May 2005;
- a joint approach to newsletters;
- a joint community control manifesto;
- joint working on governance issues.
The Community Gateway
The Community Gateway, a new model developed by the CCH for the provision of housing which offers tenants and communities a wide range of opportunities for community empowerment, is now beginning to attract significant interest across the country.
Being pioneered by the tenants and Council in Preston, as their chosen model for the transfer of their council housing stock, there is also significant interest amongst tenants and others all over the country.
