Quarterly Report
March 2002
Representation
The CCH now has 174 member organisations, consisting of:
- 56 housing co-ops directly affiliated.
- 118 housing co-ops affiliated through regional federations of housing co-ops.
The CCH remains an organisation run by voluntary members of housing co-ops.
Support for CCH members
Meeting with Sally Keeble
In September, the CCH met with Sally Keeble MP (Lord Falconer's deputy minister in the House of Commons) in September. Particular issues raised included:
- development of housing co-ops and small community orientated RSLs.
- partnerships between co-ops and large RSLs.
- the "leasehold" model developed at Redditch Co-operative Homes.
Research
Digital versions of the CCH's database of policies and procedures and a paper version of the CCH's research into service provision remains available (free of charge to CCH members).
The CCH has also produced a code of governance for housing co-ops, in partnership with the National Housing Federation, and a draft code of governance for tenant management organisations is currently out for consultation.
Responding to policy
The CCH has responded to the following consultation documents:
- the Housing Corporation's consultation on regulation and inspection.
- the Race & Housing Code of Practice consultation.
- the Oxford Brookes review of tenant management organisations.
Responding to co-ops
At the request of the Housing Corporation, the CCH nominated three representatives to the board of Clays Lane Housing Co-op in an attempt to help the co-op resolve its problems. Regrettably, after 14 years Housing Corporation supervision it was not possible to save Clays Lane, but this work highlighted the need for the Corporation to refer co-ops in difficulty to us at an earlier stage and established the viability of such a partnership.
The CCH has also provided particular assistance to:
- Redditch Co-operative Homes.
- Homes for Change Housing Co-op.
- Higginshaw Estate Management Board.
Access to Housing
The CCH facilitated a partnership between Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services and the Co-operative College to enable them to develop an NVQ accredited training course for housing co-op members and other tenants. The Access to Housing course - launched recently at the House of Lords - will enable tenants to receive housing training at the same time as getting formal qualifications. For further details, contact tanias@bchs.org.uk
The Co-operative Bank
The CCH has met with the Co-operative Bank to discuss the development of specific banking services for housing co-ops.
The Right to Manage
In response to concerns expressed by a number of CCH members, we are working in partnership with the Association for Tenant Involvement & Control and the National Federation of TMOs to take action to protect local authority tenants' Right to Manage - which has led to the establishment of nearly 250 tenant management organisations. This right is under threat from the possible introduction of a single tenancy between secure and assured tenants, and from the transfer of council housing. At this stage a formal letter has been sent to Lord Falconer, the Minister of Housing. Further campaigning work may be necessary.
Policy
The CCH's co-operation in housing strategy, developed in partnership with the Co-operative Union and the UK Co-operative Council has been moved forward in the following areas:
The Co-operative Movement
Throughout the year the CCH has flown the housing co-operative flag within the wider co-operative movement through:
- continued participation at the UK Co-operative Council, and contributions to the current debate on the co-operative movement's future representational structure.
- involvement with the Co-operative Union's New Ventures Panel - a new community enterprises fund.
- addressing the Co-operative Union's special congress in September.
- addressing an event at the House of Lords in December, which brought the co-op movement together with 5 government ministers.
- participation on one of the Regional Co-operative Councils.
- admittance to the International Co-operative Alliance Housing Committee - bringing together co-operative expertise from across the world.
Community Gateway Model
Last year saw the CCH develop its Community Gateway Model - as a means of providing - primarily local authority tenants in stock transfer areas - with a range of community control options (including housing co-ops) after stock transfer.
Following the launch of the gateway proposals in Portcullis House in November in the Mutuo publication entitled "Transferring Ownership: Community empowerment in social housing", two successful seminars aimed at local authority members, tenants and officers were held in December. A Housing Corporation funded project has now started to develop & implement the gateway proposals in partnership between the CCH / the Co-operative Union / the Chartered Institute of Housing (with HACAS Chapman Hendy acting as consultants to the programme.) It is anticipated that this work will be complete by the end of 2002.
The CCH also inputted into the DTLR's stock transfer guidance for 2002.
Best practice in community control for RSLs programme
The CCH is working in partnership with the Housing Corporation on a programme to produce a best practice guide on community control for RSLs.
The programme will develop a range of community control options (including housing co-ops) for tenants and residents.
The consultants to this programme are Social Regeneration Consultants, and it is anticipated that the best practice guide will be produced in January 2003, which will lead on to a 2 year dissemination programme.
Community Land Trusts
The CCH has been working in partnership with Aston Reinvestment Trust, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services, Mercian & Focus Housing Associations and the Housing Corporation on a community land trust feasibility study.
The community land trust model is designed to develop community ownership of land, through which local communities can determine how to use finance raised from the land asset. There might be a number of potential applications for community land trusts, and the feasibility study considers a range of them - with a particular focus on providing maintenance solutions for low income home owners. The feasibility study report is due out shortly, and conferences on the model will follow in Birmingham in May and in London in September.
Publicity
The CCH's interactive website continues to be sited at http://www.cch-uk.org/. The CCH also now operates a discussion list for serious housing co-op afficienados!
The CCH has arranged for housing co-ops to take advantage of the .co-op suffix (eg. joe@x.housing.coop) at a cheaper price than they would otherwise be able to.
During the year, the CCH visited our colleagues in the Scottish Community Ownership Housing Forum to discuss issues of mutual concern.
Forthcoming meetings
Forthcoming CCH General Council meetings will be held on:
- 20th April 2002 - Milton Keynes
Any housing co-op member (particularly those from CCH member organisations) are welcome to attend. Please contact us for further details.
