Southsea Self Help Housing Co-operative

Southsea Self Help Housing Co-operative is based in Fratton, Portsmouth. It owns and manages 35 properties in Garnier Street, Somers Road North and Lucknow Street. The Co-operative is a voluntary organisation and has no paid staff. All of the management of the Co-operative is done by its members. In order for the Co-operative to work members have to be prepared to undertake the various tasks involved in the running of a housing organisation.

1. What housing does the Co-op have?
2. What is the Co-op looking for in an applicant?
3. How does the Co-op work?
4. How does the Co-op select new tenant/members?
5. Is there any thing else I should know about
   Fratton Housing Co-operative?
   

Each house or maisonette/flat has its own bathroom, kitchen area, living area, as well as the number of bedrooms indicated. All of the houses have their own rear garden, all of the maisonettes/flats have access to shared garden areas. Car parking is very limited at Somers Road North and Lucknow Street, whilst the houses and flats in Garnier Street have no Co-op owned parking areas. The properties are a mix of purpose built units less than ten years old and Victorian houses refurbished within the last ten years. In the shared housing the individual tenant occupies their own bedroom and shares the other facilities within the house or flat with one or two others.

What is the Co-op looking for in an applicant?

The Co-operative's housing is allocated primarily on housing need. This is why the application form asks questions about your existing housing and its condition. However, because the Co-op is self-managing, the willingness and ability of applicants to become involved in the working of the organisation is also taken into account. Therefore if you are not in housing need or prepared to become involved in the workings of the Co-op do not bother to apply. Your application will automatically be rejected!

How does the Co-op work?

The Co-op is run by an elected Management Committee which consists of up to 15 members. The committee is elected annually and comprises the Officers of the Co-op, plus how ever many other members are required to bring the Committee up to 15 persons. The Officers are also elected annually and have specific responsibilities for different aspects of the Co-op's work. The full list of Officers and their functions.


The Management Committee meets monthly to transact Co-op business. Meetings are open to all tenants but only Management Committee members can vote. In addition there are three working groups - the Maintenance Team, which assists the Maintenance Officer; the Finance Group which assists the Treasurer in budget and rent setting and also assists the Assistant Treasurer with the implementing the Co-op's arrears policy; and the Allocations Working Group, which assists the Membership Officer in implementing the Co-op's allocations policy. As well as the monthly Management Committee the Co-op has occasional general meetings and Allocations Committee meetings which are open to all tenants to attend and vote, as well as the Annual General Meeting.

How does the Co-op select new tenant/members?

The Co-op has an allocations policy for recruiting new tenant members. Briefly this is how it works -

1. When a tenancy becomes vacant the Co-op first offers the vacancy internally to any existing members who may wish to transfer.
2. If there are no internal applicants the Co-op places an advertisement in the local press.
3. All replies are sent this information sheet and an application form.
4. All returned application forms are then checked and any applicants that do not meet the minimum criteria are rejected.
5. All other applicants are invited to a compulsoryIntroductory Meeting where they can find out more about the Co-op, the accommodation on offer, and meet the members of the Allocations Working Group who will be doing the home visit.

Working group who will be doing the home visit.

1. All those attending the Introductory Meeting are then visited by members of the Co-op's Allocations Working Group - the role of the Allocations Working Group is to prepare a report on the applicants housing conditions and homing need.
2. Once all the applicants have been visited the Working Group meet to prepare a report for the Co-op's Allocations Committee. This is a standard report and it treats all applicants on a confidential basis - no names are used and the focus of the report is on housing need and the applicants willingness to participate in the running of the Co-op.
3. Once the Allocations Committee have made their decision all applicants will be informed in writing. If any applicant thinks that they have been unfairly treated then they have the right of appeal direct to the Co-op's Committee of Management.
   

Is there any thing else I should know about
Southsea Self Help Housing Co-operative?

The Co-operative is a fully mutual organisation. This means that being a member is the same as being a tenant, in other words all members have to be tenants and all tenants are members. If selected to be a member you will have to pay £1 to become a shareholder, this entitles you to participate in the Co-op. THere are no dividends paid on your share holding and when you leave the Co-op your share is not refundable.