Community-led housing/housing cooperative

[Cocorico22]

Hi mumsnetters, thinking about options for buying houses... We're in SE London so prices obviously are high for relatively small/old houses. We're considering a self-build to get a house that meets our specifications, but then you have to factor in land prices etc, again not straightforward within the M25.

Have read a bit about housing cooperatives like here www.communityledhousing.london/

Does anyone have any experience of building/buying through one of these projects? Would you recommend it or not touch with a bargepole? Thanks in advance!!

You seem to be conflating a few types of housing projects.

Self build is where you buy a plot of land and then design and build the home on that land. Normally free hold.

A co- op is an organisation that owns and rents out to the properties to their members. In the fully mutualised for the tenants are the shareholders of the co-op, but they cannot sell the property they live in as it will be covered by a land lock mechanism. All tenants have an equal share in the co-op. When you move out you cease to be a member / shareholder.

Co- living is where a group of people come together and agree to live in a property collectively - the property may be owned wholly by a Co-op, Community land trust or some other form of company structure (usually not for profit). Again the shareholders collectively own company in most cases. For profit co - living arrangements are normally referred to as houses of multiple occupation and tend to be at the grim end of the rent market.

Most current Community Led housing is in the social sector and tends to be Affordable or Social Rent or shared ownership. It is done on a Community Land Trust model because of the protection it gives the CLT against losing stock to Right To Buy. Many CLT's access government grant money to build teh properties and therefore it will need to have an agreed nominations cascade with the Local Authority. To access this type of housing you will need to be on the local authority housing list.

[https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/ is the community led sector go to website] it explains all the different forms and access models.

In answer to your question - some work some are car crash.

Thanks @Unescorted, as you might have guessed I'm very new to this, so thanks for explaining the basics...

In my mind I wondered if there was a system that allowed a small group of people to club together and buy land with the intention of each doing a self-build. In order to overcome what I assume to be the main barriers to doing so in London - high prices and competition from e.g developers who have enough capital to buy desirable plots of land.

So I think I need to do some more reading!

In your view which schemes or projects tend to work?

There is something in the planning pipeline that is making it easier - design guides. Basically planning is granted to several plots but you have to use an agreed set of materials and sizes ( so you don't end up with Southfork in a conservation area). It is hoped that it will allow people to self build more easily.

Some developers are bring forward what are called service plots where they put in the utilities and roads and then sell off the plots to individuals.

London is not going to ba an area where you will find them - try in the new "Garden Villages" where it will be predominantly developer new build but some of the areas will have custom build and service plots available.

The co-housing, CLT and co-ops that work are the ones where everyone is clear on the rules and it is written down in the leases what happens when things go wrong. eg when one of the group doesn't pay their share of the rent / mortgage / development loan. Or someone wants to leave the group, what happens if you lose your job. What restrictions will make it difficult for someone to get a mortgage on one of the properties...

I personally hate the idea of having to have a community dinner night and compulsory placenta weaving groups but I have seen some really successful groups where that works. You need to find like minded people who are pragmatic. It just takes one overbearing arsehole to make it unbearable for everyone else.

Thanks again for your insights... Both DP and I baulk at the merest hint of organised fun, so sounds like we would have to choose who we join up with quite carefully, or risk hating the place for eternity