1. Paula Farrow Board of Management – CDS Co-operatives Chair – Minster Housing Co-operative The important role of Housing Co-operatives in giving tenants more control

2. What is a housing co-op? housing co-ops are groups of people who live in and collectively own and manage their homes. they are very similar to housing associations, but are managed (either entirely, or mainly) by their tenants. they democratically take responsibility for arranging repairs, making decisions about rent, who joins or leaves the co-op and many other issues, often employ a service provider to carry out certain duties they provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to their development. 2 a co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise International Co-operative Alliance

3. Tenants taking control - co-ops: build balanced communities where all members of society want to and can live together build sustainable communities that can survive without external support play a key role at the heart of the community decisions are taken by people who live in the neighbourhood if people feel that their neighbourhood belongs to them, they will look after it encourage community self-responsibility which creates individual motivation and self-reliance 3

4. suitability to tenants - technologies need to be suitable to the tenant demographic long term maintenance issues may need maintenance specialists parts difficult to get maintenance contractors may not have the credentials to clear financial credit checks new technologies – not enough research into carbon footprint and maintenance New technologies in our properties – what we would want architects to consider

5. Co-ops UKs 2010 Greener Together project raised awareness of tenants general behaviour and created beneficial changes with a collective impact co-operatives can integrate climate change and sustainable consumption patterns into their statutes Energy Performance Certificates needed by law, more likely to be looked at by co-op officers need more information about local funding and technology sources – may need advice and financial aid Energy efficiency – what we would want architects to consider

6. Sanford Housing Co-op, London Built in 1970 14 purpose built shared houses, with 140 residents Carbon C60 project has reduced carbon emissions by over 60%, using: solar water heating insulating cavity walls biomass boilers built organic gardens 6

7. Sanford Housing Co-op, London grey water recycling refurbished kitchens using recycled products green training and awareness new bicycle storage area made from railway sleepers won Inside Housing Award 2008 7