community led housing london

resource and advice hub

Co-operative

Gida Housing Co-op

Gida Housing Co-operative was incorporated 2021 in direct response to the poor quality of private rented housing experienced by black and minoritised communities in Tottenham and across London, both in terms of affordability and lack of influence over management and maintenance of their homes.

Gida is the Hausa word for ‘home’ and was birthed from the Ubele Initiative as part of their commitment to Community Wealth Building. The Ubele Initiative is a community organisation which plays a strategic role in supporting Black and Minoritized communities, with long standing commitments in Haringey.

Gida Housing Co-op aims to become an affordable housing provider which empowers under-represented communities and builds social value, by giving people influence and collective control over the management and maintenance of their own homes, as a response to the poor quality and insecure private rented housing many have had to endure. Gida’s values are aligned with Cooperative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and unity.

Gida is initially focused on the St Ann’s Hospital site with a view to ensuring homes and community spaces create a sense of community for the long term.

How we’re helping
We have supported work on governance, housing allocations, and financial appraisals.

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Nubia Way

A black-led self-build co-operative who built 13 sustainable timber frame homes in the mid 1990s.

Number of homes 13 social rented homes
Location Downham, Lewisham
Completed on site 1997

Fusions Jameen was set up as a black-led self-build co-operative, inspired by projects like Greenstreet Hill. The prospective residents organised the construction work and physically built their own homes, acting as contractors for CHISEL Housing Association, who took ownership of completed homes, and offered discounted social rents in return for self-builder residents’ labour.

Construction was based on the timber frame method pioneered by architect Walter Segal, although it had to be updated to meet more recent construction standards. The houses incorporate energy saving features and environmentally-healthy specifications. Fusions Jameen also built other schemes such as Lowther Hill.

 
A recent film crowdfunded by the Architecture Foundation documents the challenging self-build process, and the sense of community that was established through that.

Rode Housing Co-op

A small group set up as a fully mutual cooperative aiming to provide housing for themselves and others.

Rode Housing Co-operative comprises architects, housing professionals and community organisers who believe that housing is a public right. The overall aim of the group is to fulfil the housing needs of those involved while simultaneously addressing housing needs in the community. They prepared proposals for rented housing on sites released by Tower Hamlets for themselves and for council nominations.

They are now investigating converting underused properties around London.

How we helped
We provided technical advice on their Tower Hamlets proposals.

Middlesex & Wellington Co-ops

Two housing co-operatives are working together to create a phased programme to create more affordable homes with modern standards.

The first site will replace three houses currently used as temporary housing with a new block, to provide more affordable rented and permanent rehousing for residents of short-life properties.

On a nearby site, Wellington Hosuing Co-op own several poor-quality short life homes, initially earmarked for demolition for a road widening scheme. These houses are currently leased and managed by Middlesex Housing Co-op, who will rehouse some of the residents in first scheme, so this site can be redeveloped to provide additional homes.

Better quality buildings will reduce aircraft and road traffic noise. Higher levels of insulation and efficient heating will address fuel poverty. Increasing the number of homes available for rent will enable more new residents, including those nominated by Hounslow Council, to move into intentionally supportive co-operative communities.

How we’re helping
We have supported initial design work and pre-application meetings

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Lambeth Self Help

Lambeth Self Help is a fully mutual housing co-operative, representing the interests of members since the 1970s.

Lambeth Self Help are committed to providing, managing and maintaining a range of affordable homes for co-operative members where they can live together in a diverse and sustainable community. 

They own 52 street properties; most of which are large Victorian houses. Several of the properties are occupied by single older people, who increasingly need accessible homes. LSH aim to provide smaller homes, more suitable for their ageing membership, on a several infill sites. This will free up some of the larger properties for families from the Council’s housing waiting list, where there is high demand for large family homes.

How we’re helping
We have advised on the development strategy, and will be providing guidance on delivering the homes.

 Visit their website