The Confederation of Co-operative Housing has congratulated Labour on its election win and called on it to support the co-op housing sector as part of its pledge to double the UK’s co-operative economy.
It added: “CCH looks forward to establishing a collaborative relationship with our new government so that we can work together to help drive growth and change in the housing sector.”
The apex’s CEO Blase Lambert has written a letter to the housing minister Matthew Pennycook setting out his policy wishlist.
This includes building on the efforts of Jonathan Reynolds – now business secretary – to create a legal form of co-operative tenure through a Co-operative Housing Act, which would place co-operative tenants on the same secure footing as other social tenants.
CCH also wants the Localism Act amended to create a ‘presumption in favour’ of disposing of public land and buildings to co-operatives. “This will create the opportunity for the co-operative movement to develop homes and community businesses,” wrote Lambert.
And it wants ministers to Invest in a financial intermediary to provide access to low-cost capital finance for co-operative housing organisations that are currently priced out of the market by the risk appetite of lenders and institutional investors.
Related: Interview with Blase Lambert on the barriers to the UK housing co-op sector
“Alongside growing the co-operative housing movement we also want to see the growth of tenants‘ rights in social housing,” Lambert added.
This would involve amending the Right to Manage Regulations to include a Right to Manage for housing associations tenants, placing housing association tenants on the same footing as local authority tenants; and “investing to build on the success of the Four Million Homes programme – this will ensure that social housing tenants continue to have access to the information that Four Million Homes has provided over the last few years about rights and responsibilities.”
CCH also wants the government to support the formation of “an independent Resident Voice to amplify
residents’ concerns nationally and locally – this should ensure that all residents’ voices are heard by policy makers and landlords”.
“We are a ready partner for your government,” said Lambert, “and would be pleased to meet at your earliest convenience to discuss your programme for housing and how our policy actions can help drive growth and change in the housing sector.”
