Must-read Bricks, mortar and co-operationHousing policy paper for discussion 2017 Co-operative Party Conference
Featured campaign Community HousingGiven the housing crisis, you'd think the Government would welcome local people working together to build affordable homes. So why does it seem intent on stopping them?
3rd March 2021 New community-led housing offers hope to London’s older LGBTQ+ community Matthew Bennett Labour and Co-operative councillor in Lambeth and the borough’s cabinet member for planning, investment and new homes. Yesterday, Tonic Housing made history - new funding secured from the Mayor of London means they will become the UK's first LGBTQ+ retirement community. Their success is a powerful testament to the power of communities co-operating together to find solutions to the problems they face.
21st February 2020 Is commonhold the answer to leaseholders trapped by unsafe cladding? Dermot Mckibbin Housing activist and Co-operative Party member Nine in ten private blocks with Grenfell-style cladding are still covered in cladding - meaning leaseholders are stuck in unsafe homes with significant bills. These voters need Labour - work with the Co-operative Party on leasehold reform and commonhold tenure are a good start.
25th October 2019 The solution to poor quality student housing: co-operation Ian Hayes Policy Intern This month Student Co-op Homes have launched a share offer to radically change the face of student housing for the better.
23rd October 2019 Is co-operative housing the silver bullet to housing need in Welsh communities? Dawn Bowden MS for Merthyr Tydfil Supporting and developing a mutual and co-operative approach can be an important part of the solution.
18th October 2019 Why we need to build on the success of co-operative housing in Wales Mike Hedges To put Britain’s lack of co-operative housing in perspective, there are more co-operative housing homes in Vancouver than the whole of Great Britain. With the shortage of affordable housing in Wales, we cannot afford to not take every possible opportunity to increase the number of properties available.
9th July 2019 Labour’s commonhold proposals offer leaseholders hope Anna Birley Policy Officer Labour’s leasehold announcement today is welcome – not only does it end the misery faced by too many leaseholders exploited by unfair ground rents, but it provides new democratic ways for homeowners to manage their properties together through a reform of Commonhold.
8th April 2019 Evelyn’s response to food poverty Cllr Caroline Kalu Councillor Caroline Kalu, a Co-operative Party member and Board member of Lewisham Homes, writes about her own community’s response to tackling food poverty in Evelyn ward in Lewisham.
5th December 2018 The case for reforming private renting Caitlin Prowle Based on conversations with Britain's growing army of private renters, IPPR's latest report is a timely reminder of the scale of the crisis—one that co‑operative solutions can play a key role in solving.
6th November 2018 The Government’s Tenant Fees Bill fails to live up to the hype Lord Kennedy of Southwark Vice Chair (Lords) of the Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group Roy Kennedy on yet another government housing bill that fails to live up to the hype
2nd July 2018 There’s a glimmer of hope for Londoners who no longer believe that affordable housing exists in their city Constantino Christou Chair on the Lambeth Community Land Trust (CLT) campaign It wasn’t until I discovered the growing national movement in community housing that I believed that it was possible to make a difference to London's housing crisis.
20th June 2018 Sprinklers to be made compulsory in new build social housing in Scotland after Co‑operative MSP campaign win David Stewart Scottish Co-operative Party MSP David Stewart has achieved a major victory in his campaign to secure that sprinklers are included in all new build social housing.
23rd May 2018 Tenant fees are out of control – I’ll work with renters to deliver a better deal Lloyd Russell-Moyle While it’s right that we tackle unfair lettings fees, the Government’s new bill doesn’t go far enough to protect private renters.
4th October 2017 Social tenants have been ignored for too long – it’s time for Theresa May to bring back the National Tenant Voice Archived: Ben West Communications & Digital Officer The Co-operative Party has written to Prime Minister calling for her to re-establish the National Tenant Voice organisation that was disbanded by the Coalition Government in which she served.
1st August 2017 A revolution in community housing is underway – so why is the Government putting it in jeopardy? Archived: Ben West Communications & Digital Officer Anna Birley Policy Officer In two years, communities have worked together to build hundreds of permanently affordable homes. But policy changes could put Community Land Trusts (CLTs) at risk.
1st November 2016 Students don’t need landlords. With your help we can break the cycle of soaring rents and poor-quality accommodation Scott Jennings The time has come to create a national body for student housing co-operatives. With your help, we can make it happen.
10th August 2016 What if house prices were linked to wages so local people could afford them? Archived: Ben West Communications & Digital Officer House prices in London now increasing in value at twice the average yearly earnings. A group of co-operators in East London are working to put home ownership back within reach of the rest of us.
24th May 2016 Still waiting for the revolution: how do we build more co-operative homes? Nic Bliss The benefits of co-operative housing are screamingly obvious. But what will it take to make it snowball in the UK?
15th March 2016 Labour & Co-operative Lords are working to push back government Housing Bill Co-operative Party As the Government's Housing and Planning Bill progresses through Parliament, Labour and Co-op politicians are standing up for co-operative housing.
8th February 2016 Student housing can be awful. These students have come up with a better way. Co-operative Party With the housing market and student finance broken, students across the UK are doing away with landlords and setting up their own not-for-profit housing co-operatives
27th November 2015 Gareth Thomas fights to defend and promote co-op housing Dianne Jahangani Party Chair Gareth Thomas works to ensure the government's Housing Bill gives equal treatment to co-operatives
26th November 2015 Ownership of 4300 homes handed to staff and tenants in Wales Michael OwenMichael Owen is CEO of Merthyr Valley Homes Co-operative Friday sees the launch of Wales' largest housing co-operative. Here its CEO explains more
4th February 2013 Housing Market Reform Bill Joe Fortune General Secretary The Co-operative Party's Chair Gareth Thomas MP has introduced a private members' bill calling reform the housing market.
24th July 2012 It’s time for co-operative housing tenure Jonathan Reynolds Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy We need to change the laws of tenure in the UK so that truly co-operative housing can be a reality
11th July 2012 Jonathan Reynolds MP: Co-operative Housing Tenure needs to be recognised Jonathan Reynolds Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy Co-operative housing models play an important role in the UK’s current housing crisis and have proven to be affordable alternatives. Housing co-operatives have helped many families that were struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder and we must be committed to providing them with the full backing of the law, says Jonathan Reynolds MP, who is leading a debate in Parliament this afternoon on the subject.
28th November 2011 “Co-op housing will be a central plank of Labour’s housing policies in the next manifesto” Daniel Carey-Dawes Last Wednesday, co-operators gathered in Westminster with Labour's Shadow Housing Minister to discuss Labour & Co-operative MP Jonathan Reynolds’ private members bill on co-operative housing tenure, reports Daniel Carey-Dawes.
9th November 2011 Jonathan Reynolds MP: Breaking out of the feudal straitjacket Jonathan Reynolds Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy
Housing Policy Submissions & FeedbackSubmissions to the Party's housing policy consultation, which form the basis of the 'Bricks, mortar and co-operation' document. Includes responses from the NEC policy subcommittee