Quarterly Report
March 2003
Representation
The CCH now has 179 member organisations, consisting of:
- 61 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
Information
The following information is available to CCH members:
- policy and procedural information,
- code of governance for housing co-ops,
- code of governance for tenant management organisations (TMOs).
Responding to policy
The CCH has responded to the following Housing Corporation consultation documents:
- tenant participation policy,
- board member remuneration paper,
- resident charter paper.
The CCH has also had dialogue with the Housing Corporation on a project to disseminate good practice to housing co-ops on governance issues.
The CCH has led discussions with the Law Commission on issues relating to their proposed single tenancy and its relationship to housing co-ops, the possible extension of the Right to Manage to housing association tenants and has participated in wider tenant forums on single tenancy issues.
The CCH has also participated in discussions with ODPM on housing transfer guidelines and is now represented on an ODPM group considering additional finance models funding housing transfer.
Responding to co-ops
The CCH has also provided particular assistance to various housing co-ops and TMOs on request.
The following are of particular note:
- providing advice to tenants on a North London estate on options following a failed stock transfer vote;
- discussions with a TMO with a new and inexperienced management committee;
- discussions with a housing co-op seeking to deregister from the Housing Corporation;
- discussions with four TMOs in difficulty with their local authority landlords;
- exploring with a housing association TMC on transfer of the ownership of their homes to the housing co-op;
- discussions with various TMOs on their future within a stock transfer scenario.
Policy
The CCH's co-operation in housing strategy, developed in partnership with Co-operatives UK 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:
- presentations on the housing co-op movement at Co-operative Congress in Belfast;
- representation on Co-operatives UK's National Strategic Forum;
- involvement with Co-operative UK's New Ventures Panel - a new community enterprises fund;
- participation on one of the Regional Co-operative Councils;
- continued involvement with the International Co-operative Alliance Housing Committee - bringing together co-operative expertise from across the world;
- addressing various co-op society events on the housing co-op sector.
Community Gateway Model
In partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing and Co-operatives UK, the CCH has published "Empowering Communities", a report on the CCH's Community Gateway Model. CCH representatives have had dialogue with 12 local authorities on the Community Gateway Model and is also leading a process to establish a Community Gateway Association in an area of Birmingham that may incorporate council and housing association homes.
The CCH has also participated in two ODPM seminars on options for empowerment in stock transfer.
"Taking control in your community"
The CCH, in partnership with the Housing Corporation, has published its guide for housing association tenants on community control, entitled "Taking control in your community". Work is now in preparation for the dissemination programme for the guide, including 4 regional seminars for housing association tenants.
Community Land Trusts
Last year saw the publication of the CCH's report on Community Land Trusts. Carried out on behalf of Birmingham City Council and the Housing Corporation, the report specifically highlighted an equity release application of CLTs. Following publication of the Birmingham Commission's report, which called for a more neighbourhood based approach to housing in the city, the potential for CLTs has increased and the CCH has established a Birmingham CLT forum to investigate opportunities for CLTs in the city.
Tenants Union
The CCH has participated in the establishment of a new organisation to represent tenants in England, entitled the Tenants Union. This organisation will hold its inaugural AGM on 10th May in Birmingham, and there are plans to develop a tenant manifesto in partnership with all national tenant representative bodies.
The CCH has also had dialogue during the year with the National Federation of TMOs to see how best to meet the needs of TMOs.
Representation
The CCH has been represented on the following bodies or projects (not mentioned elsewhere in this report):
- All Party Political Grouping on housing co-ops
- Association of Tenant Involvement & Control
- Co-operative Housing Finance Society
- City of Westminster TMO Best Value review group
- Groundswell's National Council
- Housing Corporation Tenant Participation review group
- key worker housing co-op project
- National Federation of TMOs steering group
- National Housing Federation Co-ops & Resident Control Group
- West Midlands Co-op College membership project
- West Midlands Co-ops & Mutual Council
- West Midlands Housing Co-ops Project
- West Midlands Race & Housing Network
- West Midlands Social Economy Partnership
Publicity
The CCH's interactive website is sited at http://cch.coop/. The CCH also operates a mailing list for serious housing co-op afficienados! For further details, please contact the CCH webmaster at <webmaster@cch.coop>.
Forthcoming meetings
The next CCH General Council meeting will be held on 17 May 2003 in Manchester. Any housing co-op member (particularly those from CCH member organisations) is welcome to attend. Please contact us for further details.
