Communities in control

Co-op Homes and its member Co-ops have over thirty years experience of promoting tenant controlled housing. We are proud of the part we have played in helping ordinary people do extraordinary things and take control of their own housing resources. We have helped Co-ops do this by providing good services and sound advice ranging from the identification of sites for the development of co-operative housing, through to providing an efficient, value for money service to established organisations. We have an eye to the future and are fully aware that government and local authority policies and priorities are changing all of the time. We intend to help our members and other Co-ops through these changes and to play an active role in tomorrow’s world.

More recently we have been involved in working with residents on local authority estates. We are currently working closely with residents in Ealing helping them to lead the redevelopment of their estates.

Co-op Homes is committed to helping local communities remain in control. Over the past four years we have actively promoted tenant involvement in our own stock and our tenants have more control over the decisions that affect their housing and the standard of services that we provide through local focus groups.

The services we provide to tenant controlled organisations

Co-op Homes is the second largest provider of services to housing coops in the UK. We provide a range of services to over 25 Primary Cooperatives, including consulting and advisory work to Co-ops who have their own offices or employ their own staff.
The range of services can be tailored to the needs and resources of each client organisation. We offer a comprehensive range of services which are efficient, effective and provide good value for money.

For Co-ops with their own workers we can provide training, temporary staff cover, higher level support with long term maintenance and rent planning, advice on regulatory issues and dealing with the Tenant Services Authority (which replaced the Housing Corporation, a regulatory body, in October 2008).

We provide administration, housing management, finance, maintenance and development services for our 23 affiliated clients. Our large number of clients and
extensive contacts in the Co-op movement enable us to promote best practice across our client base.

How we support Co-ops

• Co-ops remain independent and in control of their own affairs.
• Flexible arrangements to suit each client's needs.
• Our service achieves high levels of tenant satisfaction.
• Small Co-ops who cannot afford to employ staff or run an office have the same level of service as larger organisations.
• Co-op Committees are freed up from running the Co-op on a day-to-day basis and can dedicate more time to community building and strategic issues.
• We can help provide support for existing Co-op staff, and help fill in the gaps to provide a complete service.
• The service ensures that client co-ops comply with the Tenant Services Authority regulatory code and guidance. We can also provide assistance to other Co-ops in their dealings with the Tenant Services Authority
• Co-op Homes has the staff resources, including management, maintenance, finance and development specialists and professionals. We have offices in
  Brentford, Stowmarket, and Reading.
• Many of Co-op Homes’ staff live in or have lived in housing cooperatives or tenant managed housing themselves, therefore they have first-hand understanding of this type of housing.

For further information, please contact Co-op Homes on 020 8568 4112 or email homes@coophomes.coop