End Of Year Review 2015: Housing

The housing sector faced uncertainty in 2015 as George Osborne announced new rules on social rents and a Right to Buy policy for housing association tenants. But there was growth in student housing co-ops and the sector expanded in Wales – and, on an international level, the movement came together to help Haiti’s earthquake victims. For housing co-operatives in the UK the year was a challenging one, with co-operative housing organisations worrying that the Right to Buy provisions for housing association tenants could affect community-led housing initiatives.  Read the rest of the round up for the year on the Co-operative News website.

Council Housing – House of Lords Written Answer

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action are they taking to support council tenants who want to form housing cooperatives. 

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Council tenants have the Right to Manage, which enables them to set up a Tenant Management Organisation (a management co-operative) to manage the homes in their area, with a management allowance from the Council. The Tenant Empowerment Programme, £2 million in 2014/15 and £1 million in 2015/16, supports social housing tenants to engage in, manage and/or take control of their housing services. This includes training, support and funding to enable tenant groups to take up their Right to Manage. There are currently over 200 Tenant Management Organisations across England, managing around 80,000 homes. [Edit]

Council Takes Housing Co-Op to Court

A council is taking a well-known housing co-operative to court to evict members from a building it says is unsafe.  Lambeth Council is seeking an injunction and possession order to remove the residents of Carlton Mansions from the 16-flat block in Brixton, London, following a fire risk assessment in.

Members of the Carlton Mansions housing co-op have been fighting the move saying their own fire risk assessment shows the fire risk is ‘tolerable’.  The council’s fire risk assessment found the opposite.  Read more on Inside Housing.