Zahra are a fully mutual housing co-op looking to build affordable homes suitable for multi-generational living. Several generations living together can bring many social benefits including help with childcare as well as health and wellbeing benefits for older relatives.
As private renters, they have found most rented properties on the market unsuitable for larger families and are also looking for stability and security of tenure. The homes will be for long term submarket rent and their affordability will be protected in perpetuity by the cooperative structure. The co-op will be responsible for the construction, maintenance, finance and security of the homes.
Zahra attended several workshops held by Harrow Council in 2017, registered the co-op and received a small grant from the council to explore community led housing on small sites in the borough.
How we’re helping
We have been working to clarify options and their implications and helping Zahra commission financial modelling and capacity studies on for a small redundant garage site. We helped pull this together into a business plan clarifying governance. This was well received by the council, who recently gained cabinet approval for the principle of selling a number of sites for CLH. Zahra have had an early planning pre-application meeting, and we are providing guidance in refining the scheme with further detail.