Quarterly Report
April to Dec 1998
- Introduction
- Building the CCH constituency
- Regional promotion
- United Kingdom Co-operative Council
- Policy
- Research
1. Introduction
The CCH has continued to grow in size, stature and influence over the past year. This growth has been assisted by the employment of our Development and Support Worker, Andy Hansford, through National Lottery funding, and by the establishment of our office in Birmingham.
Perhaps more importantly, the CCH, in its efforts to promote the housing co-operative movement, is being helped by the shifting of the political agenda towards community based and community controlled initiatives, with support coming from the Prime Minister for power to be devolved to communities.
2. Building the CCH constituency
More co-ops affiliating to the CCH
Following the CCH's decision to change our rules to allow housing co-ops to affiliate directly to the organisation, there has been a steady flow of co-ops affiliating. The current number of organisations affiliated stands at 163, although several of these are affiliated through federations, rather than directly.
The CCH conference
This year's annual CCH conference was held at the National Tenants Resource Centre at Chester in September. Attended by just under 100 delegates, representing a range of 42 tenant controlled and other organisations, the conference reflected the current optimism within the tenant control movement, and took the decision that the CCH would prepare a strategy paper for consultation with the whole tenant controlled housing movement.
A growing number of active volunteers
Following the CCH conference, there have been a growing number of volunteers from all over the country who have been getting actively involved in the CCH's work programme. This has led to the CCH reducing its monthly General Council meetings to bi-monthly, and the creation of sub-groups to deal with the following areas: Policy & Research, Finance & Membership, Publicity & Information, Worker Support Group.
3. Regional promotion
Our National Lottery programme committed the CCH to carrying out various regional co-op promotional events, which is particularly aimed at the regionalisation agenda of the current government.
We are currently setting up a one-day conference in the North-East region in early February, with the aim of bringing together housing co-op members, professional workers, politicians and others, to develop a positive agenda for housing co-ops in that region. We are particularly happy with the levels of support we have received for this initiative from Housing Associations & Local Authorities in the area, the North-Eastern & Cumbrian Co-op (the Co-op shop in the North-East), the Co-op Bank and from various others. We believe that, with the changing agenda, the housing co-op movement is pushing on open doors when it comes to gaining regional support.
The CCH recently hosted the inaugural meeting of a Local Housing Co-operative Development Group in the West Midlands which brought together representatives from Housing Co-ops, Associations and service providers in the region. The meeting agreed to hold a one-day conference on housing co-ops in April 1999.
This is a process that we aim to repeat in other regions, particularly in regions where there is very little housing co-op activity. The next regions we intend to work in are Northern Ireland, the North-West and the East Midlands.
4. United Kingdom Co-operative Council
The UKCC, the body that represents all co-operative sectors, has established the UKCC National Co-operative Housing Forum, under the chairmanship of Lord Graham. The purpose of the NCHF is to 'pump prime' the housing co-op movement and to enable the development of new housing co-ops. The CCH is an active partner in this development, and is keen to see relationships develop between the different co-op sectors in the country.
'Housing Co-ops: Realising the Potential'
The NCHF published 'Housing Co-ops: Realising the Potential' in July 1998 as a strategy for the development of housing co-ops throughout the country. This led to the NCHF with the CCH meeting with Brenda Dean, the Chair of the Housing Corporation at the House of Lords and to a commitment from the Housing Corporation to develop a Housing Co-ops strategy by September 1999.
We are shortly to have the first meeting of the Housing Corporation's advisory panel on housing co-ops which will determine the outcome of that strategy review.
Local Housing Co-operative Development Groups
As mentioned under 'regional promotion', the CCH has already started work on setting up Local Housing Co-operative Development Groups. These are regional groups that will bring together representatives from local authorities, housing co-ops & associations, different co-op sectors, and other appropriate housing practitioners. The LHCDGs will have a remit to raise the profile of co-operative housing regionally and to act as a catalyst in setting up new housing co-ops. It is probable that these regional groups will link in closely with the setting up of Regional Co-operative Councils.
5. Policy
Consultation on strategy
Following a vote at the CCH conference, the CCH was mandated to carry out a policy consultation across the housing co-operative movement. A strategy paper will shortly be circulated to all tenant-controlled housing groups and related organisations for consultation. The CCH is also shortly to lobby all local authorities and housing associations on the benefits of housing co-ops.
The Social Exclusion Unit
The CCH has responded to the publication of the Social Exclusion Unit's 'Bringing Britain Together' report. We have pointed out that, while page after page of the report accurately highlights the reasons for social exclusion and the need for community controlled 'bottom-up' approaches, it is a glaring omission that the potential that the co-operative option offers has not been mentioned.
The CCH has also supported the Association for Tenant Involvement and Control (ATIC) on developing the Section 16 grant regime with DETR, in particular the establishment of Tenant Empowerment Grants and proposals regarding Capacity Building Grants.
TMO Think Tank/National Federation of TMOs
The CCH recently attended the TMO think tank at Chester, organised by the National Tenants Resource Centre and DETR. The meeting brought together about 35 representatives from tenant management organisations, DETR and others, to discuss the future for tenant management in local authority properties. Several TMOs reported difficulties with local authorities and there was an acknowledgement of the need for some form of arbitration body between TMOs and local authorities. There was also some discussion of TMOs taking over ownership of their properties.
There was one representative at the TMO think tank from the National Federation of TMOs, and it was indicated that they would be holding their first conference shortly. The CCH sent a message of support to this conference.
6. Research
As part of the CCH's programme agreed with the National Lotteries Charities Board, the CCH is in the process of implementing three significant research projects, and briefs for these have been drawn up.
Research into service provision to housing co-ops
The CCH is researching into the provision of services to housing co-ops, which is being carried out in partnership with the agencies currently providing those services. This research will investigate current arrangements and lead to best practice guidelines in service provision. An initial survey has been drawn up for this research and is currently under consultation with various organisations. It is anticipated that this research will be completed within the next year.
Tenant Participation Research
This is a key element of the work that we identified with the National Lottery Charities Board. The overall idea for the research is an examination of various forms of tenant participation in social landlord provision, and comparisons between tenant controlled projects and tenant participation (ie non tenant-controlled) projects. The elements to be considered will be probably quite wide-ranging, and will be, by their nature, difficult to quantify (i.e employability, sustainability, community benefits etc).
An advisory committee which will determine the overall strategy for the research has been assembled, consisting of:
- Professor David Clapham, Cardiff University (to be confirmed)
- Keith Kirby, Principal Research Officer, DETR
- Noel Campbell, Senior Policy Analyst, the Housing Corporation
- Philippa O'Neill, National Housing Federation
- Perry Walker, New Economics Foundation
- Paul Schofield, Tenant Participation Advisory Service
- Nic Bliss, CCH
It is then anticipated that a representative sample of tenant controlled projects and a representative sample of tenant participation projects will be selected and investigated over an 12 month period to examine what benefits spring from them over that period.
It is anticipated that this research will be over a 3 year period.
Database of Policies & Procedures
Following repeated requests from CCH members for various policies and procedures, we are also proposing to draw together a database of best practice policies and procedures for housing co-ops.
Of course, there are already a number of policies and procedures for housing co-ops already in existence, so this work will only require examining policies and drawing them together.
