Take action: ask your MP to lobby the Housing Minister
The Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) is calling on members to help secure a dedicated Co-operative Housing Tenure in both England and Scotland.
We are asking all CCH members to contact their constituency MP and urge them to raise this issue with Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing.
Although provisions for a specific co-operative housing tenure have not been included in the Social Housing Bill currently making its way through Parliament, we want to ensure that the Government remains committed to establishing this important form of tenure.
Please take a few minutes to contact your MP and help keep co-operative housing on the Government’s agenda.
Why do we need a Co-operative Housing Tenure?
Co-operative housing offers a distinctive approach to housing, based on tenant-member participation, collective responsibility and democratic control.
However, the absence of a dedicated legal framework for co-operative housing tenure creates uncertainty around the rights and responsibilities of co-operatives and their tenant-members.
A specific co-operative housing tenure would help:
- establish a clear legal framework for co-operative housing
- formalise the rights and responsibilities of co-operatives and their tenant-members
- strengthen tenant-member control and autonomy
- raise the profile of co-operative housing and make it a more attractive housing option
- support the development and growth of the co-operative housing sector.
CCH has consistently called for legislation to establish this framework including in its 2024 Manifesto for England and 2026 Manifesto for Scotland.
The opportunity to make a difference
The issue of co-operative housing tenure has been raised in Parliament on several occasions.
In April 2025, Andrew Pakes MP, now the Co-operative and Mutuals Champion, introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill proposing legal recognition of co-operative housing tenure.
The Government subsequently indicated, during a community-led housing debate in October 2025, that it was considering legislation. A written parliamentary answer in January 2026 confirmed that the Government was considering opportunities to legislate.
We now want MPs to help secure further assurance that the Government intends to take this forward.
By contacting your MP, you can help demonstrate the strength of support for co-operative housing and encourage the Government to maintain its commitment to this important sector.
What we are asking CCH members to do
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Contact your constituency MP
Write to your MP by email or post asking them to lobby Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing, on behalf of your co-operative. Find your MP’s contact information here.
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Use our template letter
We have prepared a template letter for you to adapt and send to your MP.
Please personalise it by briefly describing your co-operative, its history and the benefits it brings to residents and the wider community. Please also CC [email protected] or forward it on to us to let us know who you have contacted.
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Include the CCH briefing note
Send the CCH briefing note alongside your letter to explain the case for a Co-operative Housing Tenure and the benefits it would bring.
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Ask your MP to write to the Minister
The key request is for your MP to seek confirmation that, despite its omission from the Social Housing Bill, the Government still intends to establish a dedicated Co-operative Housing Tenure.
Take action today
Your MP can help ensure that co-operative housing remains on the Government’s agenda.
Please contact your MP and ask them to raise this important issue with Matthew Pennycook MP.
Together, we can help secure greater recognition and support for co-operative housing.
Every letter counts. Thank you for helping make the case for co-operative housing.